ToLiveToLaugh
Lovin' The Homestead
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- Dec 2, 2009
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I know there's backyard chicken, but my hen is sick now and I don't want to set up a new account. So please please forgive and help me out?
I'll start by saying that this hen is old. She's one of my originals, and that's one of the reasons I want to find out whats up with her. She's either almost 3 or 4, I can't remember. Also a note, I don't live at my parent's farm anymore, I'm out of town at college. Yesterday my brother found her laying on her side, limp, out behind the hen house. She'd been sleeping on the ground the previous two nights. Our guess now is that she was too weak to get up on the roost.
So my brother called me and I headed home (speeding only a little). By that time, he's used a syringe and opened her beak and gave her water, and also put her on a low temp heater that we use to warm up the cat (she's old, too). By the time I got there, she was doing a little better, holding her head up and laying more on her breast and less flat on her side (although she still has dropped wings, sticking out to the side, etc).
I made some very watery rolled oats and gave her some of the oat water, still very thin. I've been alternating just water or oat water followed by water every 30 min (day) or 2 hours (last night). Since getting home, I added a little carrot and celery broth and millet water to the oat water. Still pretty much water, I'm just trying to get "good stuff" in.
Her comb was lifted off in the back (like it had been torn away from her scalp- maybe the roo?) and so I put a little triple antibiotic ointment on that. She's up here in my apartment with me now since no one else has the time for intense care. She's still laying on her breast, holding her head up, and trying to turn her head away when I go to give her water (although she swallows once its in), but her wings are still dropped and she will slowly start to fall over to one side or the other. She's also laying on her feet curled, not flat at all. She doesn't really seem aware of where her legs or wings are or what they're doing.
I guess my questions are these: is there something specific that causes symptoms like these, or was it just dehydration and hypothermia? Should I be worried at all for the rest of my birds? Is this probably the end, and I should just keep her comfy as best I can?
I'm sorry if I seem neurotic at all. She's more of a pet than a farm animal, and she was there for me when other people weren't. Any advice you guys could give would be appreciated a ton! Thank you so much.
I'll start by saying that this hen is old. She's one of my originals, and that's one of the reasons I want to find out whats up with her. She's either almost 3 or 4, I can't remember. Also a note, I don't live at my parent's farm anymore, I'm out of town at college. Yesterday my brother found her laying on her side, limp, out behind the hen house. She'd been sleeping on the ground the previous two nights. Our guess now is that she was too weak to get up on the roost.
So my brother called me and I headed home (speeding only a little). By that time, he's used a syringe and opened her beak and gave her water, and also put her on a low temp heater that we use to warm up the cat (she's old, too). By the time I got there, she was doing a little better, holding her head up and laying more on her breast and less flat on her side (although she still has dropped wings, sticking out to the side, etc).
I made some very watery rolled oats and gave her some of the oat water, still very thin. I've been alternating just water or oat water followed by water every 30 min (day) or 2 hours (last night). Since getting home, I added a little carrot and celery broth and millet water to the oat water. Still pretty much water, I'm just trying to get "good stuff" in.
Her comb was lifted off in the back (like it had been torn away from her scalp- maybe the roo?) and so I put a little triple antibiotic ointment on that. She's up here in my apartment with me now since no one else has the time for intense care. She's still laying on her breast, holding her head up, and trying to turn her head away when I go to give her water (although she swallows once its in), but her wings are still dropped and she will slowly start to fall over to one side or the other. She's also laying on her feet curled, not flat at all. She doesn't really seem aware of where her legs or wings are or what they're doing.
I guess my questions are these: is there something specific that causes symptoms like these, or was it just dehydration and hypothermia? Should I be worried at all for the rest of my birds? Is this probably the end, and I should just keep her comfy as best I can?
I'm sorry if I seem neurotic at all. She's more of a pet than a farm animal, and she was there for me when other people weren't. Any advice you guys could give would be appreciated a ton! Thank you so much.