- Jul 10, 2014
- 19
- 1
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We are in the middle of winter here and just two weeks ago I noticed one of my hens had a bleeding vent. I swooped her up and took her in following all the instructions I could find to help her - warm bath, feed her greens and water and kept her warm.....well until my husband got home, but we put her in the barn in a dog crate with a heating pad underneath. She was eating and drinking fine for a few days and then I noticed another with the same problem the next day. It was storming out so bad that night that I could not do anything for her and I did not have another dog crate. She was not eating or drinking like the other one and she stayed in the nesting box away from the other chickens so I knew she would be safer there. The next night my husband checked on her and she did not make it the night. I knew when she was not eating or drinking so I figured she was not going to make it. The one in the barn did end up dying after 4 days as well.
So, today another blizzard I went to check on them and noticed another with the same bleeding vent. This time my husband said ok to taking her and leaving her in the house, but I think she may have went into shock as she was fine out in the coop eating and drinking and now that she is in the dog crate in the house she won't eat any greens or drink. I am hoping she will come around, but she certainly is not wanting to do anything other than lay down. I am worried about the last chicken now as this is either because of the cold.....we researched so much on what to do and not to do for winter, so I am hoping it is not that.....Or it is some sort of virus or bacterial infection that is going right through the flock. I am also worried as well because I have only one left and I know that their body heat together keep them warm. I feel like I have FAILED BIG TIME. I feel like I am a bad hen mommy because I cannot protect them. If anyone can give me any advice as I do not know what to do to fix this and if I cannot fix this I am certainly not going to put any other hens through this.
Failed hen mommy
So, today another blizzard I went to check on them and noticed another with the same bleeding vent. This time my husband said ok to taking her and leaving her in the house, but I think she may have went into shock as she was fine out in the coop eating and drinking and now that she is in the dog crate in the house she won't eat any greens or drink. I am hoping she will come around, but she certainly is not wanting to do anything other than lay down. I am worried about the last chicken now as this is either because of the cold.....we researched so much on what to do and not to do for winter, so I am hoping it is not that.....Or it is some sort of virus or bacterial infection that is going right through the flock. I am also worried as well because I have only one left and I know that their body heat together keep them warm. I feel like I have FAILED BIG TIME. I feel like I am a bad hen mommy because I cannot protect them. If anyone can give me any advice as I do not know what to do to fix this and if I cannot fix this I am certainly not going to put any other hens through this.
Failed hen mommy