Hi everyone, I'm a long time reader but just now joined the community because I had a pretty horrific experience four days ago when my 3 year old rooster nearly drowned in our swimming pool after getting into a fight with another rooster. To be completely honest, it was very traumatic for me to find him floating face down and then pull his lifeless body from the deep end of the pool in mid February weather and start CPR (I live in California but it's been a particularly cold and rainy winter with temperatures averaging between 32°F and 35°F at night and not getting above 65°F during the day for about the last 6-8 weeks), and even reliving it now for the sake of asking this question is really hard for me to go back to. I'm not exactly certain how long he was floating because I didn't hear any commotion or splashing, and I feel absolutely horrible, and will never forgive myself for not being there faster for him.
By the grace of God I was able to find his pulse again after many chest compressions, using moderate pressure for Heimlich style pushing near the sternum and his back, tilting him downwards so that gravity could work with us to help get water out, and seeing my breath get his chest to rise up several times. I then immediately rushed him into my house and got him dried off with a hairdryer set on low while alternating dry towels and clothes of mine to keep his temperature up, and then placed him on top of a heating pad while wrapping him up in different small blankets and clothes that I regularly kept warming for him in the dryer for him. He was almost completely unresponsive for roughly the 4-5 hours, only opening beak up for small little breaths here and there, and I just kept talking to him and holding him close and praying for him. As he stabilized, he eventually opened his eyes and would look at me, but clearly he was exhausted and just needed to sleep and be held warm and loved, which he was all through the night. At one point he was able to sip on some electrolyte mixed water, which he progressively became more and more interested in.
As the next day came, he began starting to try to stand himself up but was obviously very weak from his nightmare experience, and as his appetite began to come back, his energy and overall presence became much better, and he even started to try crowing again. Yesterday, while still wrapped up in some warm sweaters of mine, I took him outside with me to spend some time with his hens, and it was HUGE for lifting his spirits - he started crowing at full volume again, but it was obviously exhausting for him to do. We spent a good 3-4 hours sitting in the warm sunshine on one of the best weather days we've had so far this year, and I even took him to sit in the grass and did some makeshift chicken physical therapy with him because he was trying to get up and walk to his girls but kept falling forward once his legs went from a crouching position to standing. While supporting him in standing, bending and getting used to his own weight again, I could feel his muscles in his legs moving in response to the amount of weight I was allowing onto his feet, but didn't go too far because I know he needs to take recovery at his own pace. Once we came back inside, I set up a little dog kennel for him in my living room (probably about 3 feet long × 2 feet wide × 3 feet tall), and made him a nesting box and a perch so he could choose which felt most comfortable - and today I woke up to his loud crows and found him perching above his seed and water trays
My main concern at this point is how to help my boy keep recovering with his makeshift chicken physical therapy, so to speak. Has anyone else here had a similar situation like this? Is there anything specific I should do to keep him going on the right path?
If you got to the bottom of this, thank you so much for taking the time to read. <3
By the grace of God I was able to find his pulse again after many chest compressions, using moderate pressure for Heimlich style pushing near the sternum and his back, tilting him downwards so that gravity could work with us to help get water out, and seeing my breath get his chest to rise up several times. I then immediately rushed him into my house and got him dried off with a hairdryer set on low while alternating dry towels and clothes of mine to keep his temperature up, and then placed him on top of a heating pad while wrapping him up in different small blankets and clothes that I regularly kept warming for him in the dryer for him. He was almost completely unresponsive for roughly the 4-5 hours, only opening beak up for small little breaths here and there, and I just kept talking to him and holding him close and praying for him. As he stabilized, he eventually opened his eyes and would look at me, but clearly he was exhausted and just needed to sleep and be held warm and loved, which he was all through the night. At one point he was able to sip on some electrolyte mixed water, which he progressively became more and more interested in.
As the next day came, he began starting to try to stand himself up but was obviously very weak from his nightmare experience, and as his appetite began to come back, his energy and overall presence became much better, and he even started to try crowing again. Yesterday, while still wrapped up in some warm sweaters of mine, I took him outside with me to spend some time with his hens, and it was HUGE for lifting his spirits - he started crowing at full volume again, but it was obviously exhausting for him to do. We spent a good 3-4 hours sitting in the warm sunshine on one of the best weather days we've had so far this year, and I even took him to sit in the grass and did some makeshift chicken physical therapy with him because he was trying to get up and walk to his girls but kept falling forward once his legs went from a crouching position to standing. While supporting him in standing, bending and getting used to his own weight again, I could feel his muscles in his legs moving in response to the amount of weight I was allowing onto his feet, but didn't go too far because I know he needs to take recovery at his own pace. Once we came back inside, I set up a little dog kennel for him in my living room (probably about 3 feet long × 2 feet wide × 3 feet tall), and made him a nesting box and a perch so he could choose which felt most comfortable - and today I woke up to his loud crows and found him perching above his seed and water trays
My main concern at this point is how to help my boy keep recovering with his makeshift chicken physical therapy, so to speak. Has anyone else here had a similar situation like this? Is there anything specific I should do to keep him going on the right path?
If you got to the bottom of this, thank you so much for taking the time to read. <3
