Emaciated hen and cold weather question

lutherpug said:

I have an Australorp who had an impacted crop. A local avian vet was able to intervene and she is on the road to recovery but she is still very, very thin. Her crop is emptying normally since her procedure and I know she is better as she is roosting with the others-she was too weak a few weeks ago) and her comb and wattles look better-they were very pale.

My concern is that it looks like winter is finally arriving after a warm fall-lows will be in the twenties several nights over the next week and colder air is surely on the way in the next month. I haven't been giving much in the way of treats but I have scratch and cracked corn handy. They also seem to love oatmeal and peeled apples. Do I just bump up the treats? Shut her off from the others in the coop and offer her something additional? If so, what?

I just worry about her freezing as it gets colder with no meat on her bones....

Thoughts? Thanks

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lutherpug said:

I'm pretty stingy with the treats in general-not more than once a week and in pretty small quantities. Higher protein food is a good idea-do you think that is okay for my other hens for a few weeks? I went out to the coop earlier today and did a more detailed comparison of her body and the other two hens and the difference isn't nearly as significant as it was right after this happened. That said, I'd like to help the process if I can given that it is supposed to dip into the teens mid next week if the forecast holds....

Thanks for the advice!

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