**Update 2/21** 2 Badly burned chickens ***Warning Graphic Photos.

**Update 2/21**
Dad checked on the birds this morning and found Lionel laying down and not moving. He passed away during the night. He was a favorite and one of the first chickens I had, very friendly rooster. I am sad that I never kept his offspring hoping that I would have him another year.
Pidgin is doing well.

According to my Dad this happened a week ago on Sunday. I came home this weekend from college and just found out and saw for myself.

Lionel my brahma rooster has swollen feet and melted toe nails.... his spurs are black.... the few times he walks he picks his legs up sooo high. Him and Pidgin light brahma hen, had' feathered feet. I think it both saved them but made it worse. I don't know what to do for them. Pidgin has skin peeling off her feet. the skin on both is still... alive looking with some scales gone.... the back of the hocks? are exposed bone with scab..... Pidgin seems to be doing 'best' It sounds like dad has been putting neosporin on them all week. Also they don't have tails..... their tails burned off..... all the feathers around their butt are burned off..... and the rest of the feathers are smoke and heat damaged.
This is beyond my understanding of what to do.
Lionel was standing on the snow this morning... which i am sure hurt but keeps the swelling down....
I have placed Lionel and Pidgin in my little chicken tractor with water and scratch and clean straw, and no heat lamp ( i figured they are going to have PTSD every time they see a lamp...).
If there is medications i can get them today please let me know. I know that anything with 'cane' in it can kill them... and i am glad and lucky my dad only was putting neosporin on....
I also have a Cayuga Drake that i put in with them that is sharing food and water... the other ducks have picked on it bad. he has no feathers on his neck and after picking him up i realized they been keeping him from food and water. I figured all 3 need peace and quiet.

I will not take pictures because it is that bad. I do not wish this on anyone.
I have another chicken that is worse but tonight its suffering will be ended. I set it next to food and water and it was eating and drinking. its feet are melted together legs are black and dead looking, peeling, and it walks on the stubs with the remainder of its wings, the primary's burned off too. I know some chickens live fine with a foot missing or toes.. but the extent of this would pretty much have it walking on 'drumsticks'. i am surprised it has lived as long as it has and the other birds don't pick on it, probally because it smells burnt.

For the other 2 birds i do not know what to do or if i should try to bandage.... i am pretty sure Lionel's spurs are 'dead' but i cannot cause more pain by removing them.... i don't want to add to the shock. i assume they will fall off.
I have no clue what to do. they are still eating and drinking, Lionel not as much but he is trying. Because these 2 are still moving and trying to live I won't give up. they are the few original birds i have left.

Lionel is over 4 years old and Pidgin is 3 years old.

Please Help.

Update 2/20 ***Warning Graphic**
I had to return to college today and I showed Dad the amount of the Protein supplement to add to the top of the feed and that he needs to try and spray the Veterycin on as much at possible.
I decided that the wounds have healed enough to take photos to document.
Lionel is doing worse today but maybe its because he is not with the rest of the flock having to act tuff. I figure that with having Pidgin in there with him it will encourage the will to live. I asked Dad if he could try to take a warm wet cloth to Lionel's butt to try and clean it some. He is not eating much but is still drinking. Pidgin came up and demanded to be let out and then started eating some of the protein stuff.


This is what they survived.


Lionel

Lionel's legs Front.

Lionel's back of legs

Lionel has a bad case of runs.... i think.... i really hope its not his organs shutting down. I don't want to mess with that area because it is healing. I miss his tail.


Believe it or not but this has healed a lot since saturday morning....


Pidgin is faring better and is still lively and boss. She is healing faster but somehow she also didn't get burned as badly... her but is still burned and the bottoms of her feet are peeling. the duck in the background doesn't bother them, he is alone because the other ducks have outted him. So this is quiet time for him, i think his tail has been kicked enough to where his hormones won't harass pidgin.


The worst part is both of them had just finished molting.... now they have to start over again.

sorry to hear about the fire and your birds.

sounds like you're doing what you can for the ones who look like they are going to survive. I was just telling a friend of mine today about how dangerous it is to have a heat lamp in the coop. I would just try to keep their wounds clean and make them as comfortable as possible, chickens are pretty tough and resilient. Maybe give them some scrambled eggs for extra protein so that they can get a good start on regrowing some of their feathers and scales on their legs and feet. You might want to put them on an anti-biotic to ward off infection, but I'm not sure if it would be good for them in their condition, maybe someone else can speak to whether or not that would be a good idea?

yeah I am afraid to try wrapping their legs or medicate.... I have honestly never seen a chicken survive so much shock. Most have died from shock of a dog attack.
I am afraid of doing anything to stress them in case it pushed them over the edge... I was already worried from just picking them up and putting them in a tractor.
I do but don't want to wrap their legs only to when i change them that the skin comes off... I couldn't do that. just rubbing some neosporin on (with gloves) required a strong stomach.
its going to be a while before they start growing feathers back... i honestly don't know if they will or if the skin melted and burned too much to regenerate feather growth.
at least i am sure there are no lice on their butts..... but that might be why those feathers burned the most....a theory. or chicken poop burns really well.

I am also worried about their air ways because i am sure they inhaled a lot of smoke....

Oh, wow! This is so horrible! I think your dad did right with the neosporin. Infection is a serious concern. I think giving oral antibiotics would be a good step as well. I'm guessing the burns are serious enough that pain may not be too bad for them, I'm sure there was nerve damage. I think you do need to make sure they are clean to prevent infection which would entail cleaning their wounds. Perhaps some buffered aspirin to help reduce pain & swelling prior to cleaning them would help. Maybe some benadryl to help them be sleepy/relaxed?

I wish I knew more to help out... I hope they make it!

Good luck!

I checked on them tonight and the hen and rooster were cuddled on the ground sleeping (there is no way they are going to be sleeping on a perch for a few months.)

I may look into the antibiotics in the water.
Would it be ok to have the duck drink antibiotics?

I'm no expert... I hope someone with more first aid experience with chickens sees this thread soon.

I would think under the circumstances it would be perfectly fine for your duck to drink antibiotic-laced-water. I would probably also add vitamins to their water as well but look up if electrolytes would be okay with antibiotics. You might have to be careful about that.

Maybe give them egg yolks to help give them a boost and I know vitamin E helps with skin issues with people so perhaps add that to the yolk treat?

I had a pretty bad burn on my back from falling asleep with a heating pad (stupid, I know) and from what I read moist-healing is fastest and best. For me, that involved using moist bandages covered by waterproof bandages to keep the moisture in. I'm wondering if there would be any way of trying to rig something like that up for their feet. I recently found a GREAT page on poultry podiatry that might give you some ideas... https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Keeping you and yours in my thoughts...

(edited to fix some spelling)

oh... reading the poultry podiatry it does mention that Campho-Phoenique prevents and cures infection as well as working as a painkiller for chicken's legs. It's mentioned as a treatment for leg mites but mentions it's especially good for areas that are raw.

great thread on wound care... https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/352701/how-do-i-administer-a-penicillin-shot-to-a-chicken

If your animals are still outside, which I think they are, I would look into the fly-proof ointment she mentions and put it over whatever other ointment you put on. The last thing you want is maggots taking up residence.

I would stay away from Aloe Vera if you were thinking of it... that would only be good for minor burns.

Maybe consider Bach's Rescue Remedy to help with shock/stress.

Not sure how long you'll be able to care for them since you're away at college but I think they need daily care for sure. Personally, I would look at giving them antibiotic injections so that I could add supplements, etc... to their water without worry.

Oh, and after adding meds to their hocks, maybe cover with non-stick pads and add the hock cushions mentioned on the podiatry page.

I'm thinking that eventually you will have to remove the dead skin... I think leaving it on can cause more problems but I'm not positive.

Not sure what you're studying in school but perhaps after this you can go into medicine and specialize in burn therapy! I'm in awe of what you are doing for them.

I am not sure what kind of antibiotic to give them. I was reading on mcmurrary to see what kinds they have to get an idea... but they list the uses to specific infections. what kind to use for prevention? or a "broad spectrum" there is no vet in my area that messes with birds.

broad spectrum would be tetracycline hydrochloride