Friday, June 14, 2013

Little Chick Tummy Bulge Help



 I need help with a chicken question.
This is the tummy of my Special Needs chick,
the one eyed, blind, cross beaked chicken I
brought home from a farm supply store.
You can see there are two distinct bulges
and an obvious lack of feathers.
 I had to wash him/her off since it gets dirty eating.
  I have to feed it a wet mash
due to it's crossed beak plus it's blind and 
misses everything several times.


Here is another view as I had him perch on a chair edge.


The condition seems to be worsening.
I can see it's tongue all the time now.
I think it may be drinking by itself  at times
but I do tend to take it aside  just to make sure
but I'm not always around.
You can see how crossed the beak is
plus it's missing an eye completely
and the other one can't see, 
or  can't see much.
As he has grown the one eye keeps getting
 more bulged too, the other birds try to pick at it.

Any suggestions on the condition?
When it eats it chirps the entire time in 
a happy sort of way.
It's trying to "fly" when I have him balanced
on my arm or in my hand.  I don't think the 
flying thing will work out so well since it can't see.

I may have to learn how to clip its beak too.


11 comments:

Candy C. said...

Oh Kathy, poor little chickie looks to be getting worse despite all your heroic efforts! :(

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

I guess that means that this is not normal. I was hoping it was but normally covered with feathers. I know he can hear and he knows my voice. My husband says it's real quiet until I walk in and say something and then he starts chirping!!

Carrie P. said...

poor thing. I don't have any advice since I don't any chickens yet.

Yahoobuckaroo's Blog said...

It reminds me of those tumors Retrievers get around their chest and stomach areas all the time. Vets usually say not to worry about them. I guess it's just fatty tissue or something. Maybe your chick is the same way.

I'll bet the chick actually talks a lot while you're away. He probably sits around looking at Tom and yelling, "Not the mama!"

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

Yahoo- we have a stuffed animal of that baby (dino??)and it says Not the Mama. My kids loved that show.

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

I don't know about what it is though. When he's wet, and it's always wet from eating/drinking since it misses a lot, I can sort of see through it and it's dark inside.

Yahoobuckaroo's Blog said...

Hey, I still love that show! In fact, I'm watching it on Netflix right now and eating breakfast.

You might try poking a needle into his chest to see if any fluid drains out. It might give him some relief.

Finding Fifth said...

Oh the poor little thing. It looks as though the gentics have not been kind to this little one.

Unknown said...

Oh, the poor little guy, he just can't get a break can he? I would have thought the hatchery would have culled this one before sending him off to the store for sale. He is lucky you were the one who took him home. Seems it is receiving lots of loving attention.

Kathy Shea Mormino, The Chicken Chick said...

Are you sure that isn't his/her crop?

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

No, I'm not sure. It isn't as pronounced on the other chicks but due to this one's deformity, maybe this one is just bigger?