Best companions for disabled rooster

[tommysgirl]

On my first hatch I made the soft hearted/soft headed decision to help a chick out. He had pipped on a Thursday night and finally was out on Saturday night. I did most of the work for him. So there he was all quivering in the bator and I made the next choice...dropper feeding him. He was spraddle legged and had curled toes so I researched and got him set up like this:


We treated him for several weeks and thought that he was fixed. He could eat and drink on his own and walked weird but he could still walk. We moved him outside with the rest of the chicks at about 3 weeks. His shoe came off we reapplied but somewhere between about week 5 and 6 he started to digress. We re treated but it seemed that he was happier being unfettered so we let it go. This is him now



See how his left leg curls up in front of him and his foot is almost upside down? He can get his right foot under him and he propels himself using that leg and his wings. He is also stunted in growth and no where near the size of his coopmates. He seems happy. He hangs out in our laps, loves watermelon and pecks and scratches in the run using his beak. He is in right now with his hatchmates and other juvies hatched late April early May but my H is building him a "Handicoop" so that he can be secure and we can leave the coop he is in now open while the girls in there free range.

So when we move him I was wondering what would be best, putting him with a couple of girls with whom he has grown up or getting some bantam girls. The problem with putting him in with his home girls is that it would mean they wouldn't be able to range and get to their nest boxes in their coop since he has to be secured in side to keep roosters peacocks and the older hens from getting to him.

The problems with getting him a couple of girls from outside is that they might still be mean to him. He holds his own in stare downs but I would worry that even the sweetest little bantam hen might abuse him.

What would you do?

 

[Mrs. K]

ahhh you don't want to know what I would do! best wishes

 

[polarbearpilot]

On my first hatch I made the soft hearted/soft headed decision to help a chick out. He had pipped on a Thursday night and finally was out on Saturday night. I did most of the work for him. So there he was all quivering in the bator and I made the next choice...dropper feeding him. He was spraddle legged and had curled toes so I researched and got him set up like this:


We treated him for several weeks and thought that he was fixed. He could eat and drink on his own and walked weird but he could still walk. We moved him outside with the rest of the chicks at about 3 weeks. His shoe came off we reapplied but somewhere between about week 5 and 6 he started to digress. We re treated but it seemed that he was happier being unfettered so we let it go. This is him now



See how his left leg curls up in front of him and his foot is almost upside down? He can get his right foot under him and he propels himself using that leg and his wings. He is also stunted in growth and no where near the size of his coopmates. He seems happy. He hangs out in our laps, loves watermelon and pecks and scratches in the run using his beak. He is in right now with his hatchmates and other juvies hatched late April early May but my H is building him a "Handicoop" so that he can be secure and we can leave the coop he is in now open while the girls in there free range.

So when we move him I was wondering what would be best, putting him with a couple of girls with whom he has grown up or getting some bantam girls. The problem with putting him in with his home girls is that it would mean they wouldn't be able to range and get to their nest boxes in their coop since he has to be secured in side to keep roosters peacocks and the older hens from getting to him.

The problems with getting him a couple of girls from outside is that they might still be mean to him. He holds his own in stare downs but I would worry that even the sweetest little bantam hen might abuse him.

What would you do?

Just wondering if your rooster is still around and how it is doing and how you're taking care of him. I have a 9 month old disabled rooster who can not walk. He spends most of this time on his tummy. He uses his wings to move around with much difficulty. Twice a day, we put him in a box cushioned with lots of shredded paper so he could be comfortable. In the box, his body is stable enough that it allows him to eat and drink without losing his balance. I don't have the heart to cull him.