Hi everyone! I’m a first time chicken mom and unexpectedly rescued a chicken yesterday. I’ve always wanted chickens but I’m not prepared at all! I have no idea of her precious situation as she was found stranded, chased under someone’s porch by a dog. (No injuries from that). Shes living in our chicken proofed bathroom until we build her a coop and she feels better. I made her roosts and she has a nesting box. She seems comfortable but I can tell she wants to be outside. Poor thing. She’s a mature hen, I’m not sure how old. She’s almost blind in one eye, it looks like maybe it was pecked when she was younger. Fully healed. Her tail is crooked, I’m thinking wry tail but she’s holding it down. She’s very tired and I’m sure she had a long journey but even after a full nights rest she stands in place, closes her eyes. She’ll move around some then repeat. She lays down at night and seems to want to roost, but hasn’t yet and when I help her she struggles to get down again. I’m not sure if she’s not coordinated because of her eye or if she’s weak ect. She’s very very sweet and lays near me and is tolerant to what I do to her. Her bottom was caked with poop, to the point where there were painful rocks of molded poop around her bum, poor thing. I cut all those feathers short so that area is much cleaner. I’d like to wash her butt soon. Her feet look great, filed nails.
The main issue is her crop, it seems impacted. She’s pooping often, every 15 minutes or so and her poops are dark brown with bright white urates almost every time. No other colors or textures other than an occasional more liquidy poop but it looks the same as the others. No putrid smell. No bad breath. No discharge from eyes or nose, no sneezing whistling, clicking, coughing, ect. No shaking or tremors, no odd behavior other than being quiet and tired. She’ll cluck on occasion. Her crop feels like softened clay or dough, with a few grits/seeds. It makes gurgling sounds, sometimes worse than others. Almost sounds like a human stomach rumbling/upset. She let out some burps when I massaged it and they didn’t stink. She was fed “chicken treat” (dried fruit mixed seeds) and cracked corn yesterday and this morning until we can get her proper food. She’s had a few raspberries and some banana, as well as an earthworm and some superworms. She loved them. (Recommendations for feed?) she doesn’t have traditional granite grit yet but she has a variety of small pebbles of different textures I collected and she’s eaten a few so far. I also offered rough crushed eggshell that she’s gone after. I’ll get her oyster shells and grit today. She ate this morning but I’ve taken away her food and she only has water, eggshells and “grit”. I gave her half a syringe of olive oil, 1 tsp BeneBac probiotic powder, garlic water, and a splash of vinegar mixed together and massaged her crop. She didn’t seem to mind for quite awhile but then started making noises at me to stop. So I did. In the mean time I’ll make her some scrambled eggs and get her greek plain yogurt to eat in the mean time. I’m waiting to see if her crop empties. It wasn’t this morning, unless she ate before I checked on her. She seems uncomfortable for sure. Please help, she’s a sweetheart and I want her feeling better. There’s no vets around here educated on chickens.
The main issue is her crop, it seems impacted. She’s pooping often, every 15 minutes or so and her poops are dark brown with bright white urates almost every time. No other colors or textures other than an occasional more liquidy poop but it looks the same as the others. No putrid smell. No bad breath. No discharge from eyes or nose, no sneezing whistling, clicking, coughing, ect. No shaking or tremors, no odd behavior other than being quiet and tired. She’ll cluck on occasion. Her crop feels like softened clay or dough, with a few grits/seeds. It makes gurgling sounds, sometimes worse than others. Almost sounds like a human stomach rumbling/upset. She let out some burps when I massaged it and they didn’t stink. She was fed “chicken treat” (dried fruit mixed seeds) and cracked corn yesterday and this morning until we can get her proper food. She’s had a few raspberries and some banana, as well as an earthworm and some superworms. She loved them. (Recommendations for feed?) she doesn’t have traditional granite grit yet but she has a variety of small pebbles of different textures I collected and she’s eaten a few so far. I also offered rough crushed eggshell that she’s gone after. I’ll get her oyster shells and grit today. She ate this morning but I’ve taken away her food and she only has water, eggshells and “grit”. I gave her half a syringe of olive oil, 1 tsp BeneBac probiotic powder, garlic water, and a splash of vinegar mixed together and massaged her crop. She didn’t seem to mind for quite awhile but then started making noises at me to stop. So I did. In the mean time I’ll make her some scrambled eggs and get her greek plain yogurt to eat in the mean time. I’m waiting to see if her crop empties. It wasn’t this morning, unless she ate before I checked on her. She seems uncomfortable for sure. Please help, she’s a sweetheart and I want her feeling better. There’s no vets around here educated on chickens.
