13 Week EE Injured (17 wks now) ~Vet Update Not Good~ *Graphic Pics *

[Lolliegee]

Good news! She opened one of her eyes today. It was only about a quarter open, but she opened and closed it several times. I'm so glad! I know that now her progress will just keep getting better and better. If her vision's restored, then she should start feeding herself. (I hope

)

As far as the water goes...I didn't see her drink on her own at all today.

I guess it had just gotten spilled somehow yesterday. Too bad. But that's okay. I got a lot of food and water in her at tonight's care session. Oh, and she did drink a little bit when I dipped her beak in the water. So there still is progress on that front...just not quite as much as I had hoped.

After feeding her, I decided to go ahead and give her a bath. Surprisingly, she seemed to like it. She didn't struggle at all. I made the water pretty warm and used the sprayer and just kept working til I got most of the gunk out of her feathers. (I did have to cut some of the poo from her backside, fortunately not around her vent.) Afterward, I wrapped her in a towel, then dried her with the hair dryer. She didn't even seem to mind that.

Cleaned out her tub and put some puppy pads down (I ran out of the bedding I was using for her) and put a light down low so she could stay warm. I took pics after the bath to show her progress.

Sitting under the light in her tub.

You can really see in the pics how much progress she's made. She definitely still looks pretty sorry, but hey, compared to how she looked even a few days ago, she looks pretty good.

Forecast for tomorrow is still supposed to be dry, so I'll definitely be getting her outside. Especially now, that her eyes are opening (I'm saying that as if her other one is already opening too

), if she gets outside then she could see her friends. Hopefully, that'll help her out.

I have a question I was wondering about. She 16 weeks old now, so due to start laying in a few more weeks. Is there any chance that she would become egg-bound or have any problems if she doesn't start laying due to the injury? I'm assuming that she won't start laying at the same time as her brood-mates just because of all the trauma. I'd just hate to have her go through all this and then have something else happen because of a delay in her egg-laying.

 

[NotTheMomma]

All your hard work is paying off!!

Oh what a wonderful update! I'm am so happy for both of you! I think an outing tomorrow is just what the doctor oh errr, ummm, the posters! ordered.

Gosh look how much better she appears, and how beautiful!! I'm loving it!

 

[Chew593]

I should be in bed... I have a 3 hour drive and a wedding to attend tomorrow, but I had to read this whole thread from beginning to end. I am totally loving your chicken right now, and (like a good novel) I'm rooting for the good guys! I have to give props to threehorses and everyone else for all the wonderful advice that's been given to you, and to you for being so dedicated to your chick.
Best of luck, I'll be keeping an eye out for updates.

 

[CMV]

Quote:
My best layer was badly injured and I had the same concerns. Mine did not have any problems. You may be surprised, yours may start laying right on schedule. I never expected my hen to lay with the injuries she had (I also put her in a dim basement to try to slow her down), but she gave us an egg a day after the first week. We couldn't eat the eggs because of the antibiotics, so I just cooked them up and fed them back to her. The only unusual thing was she laid a soft-shelled egg the day she was injured. I have never seen that before or since. I attributed it to the stress of the attack/injury.
I've been watching this thread since the beginning, and I wanted to congratulate you on a job well done. Your hen looked pretty awful a couple weeks ago. You did great.

 

[Lolliegee]

Quote:

I can't tell you how many times I've done the same thing. I'm always staying up too late reading people's stories. They have a way of sucking you in don't they?

Just a quick update on her today...I came out this morning and she's roosting on the side of her water bowl. Good thing it's ceramic and fairly heavy. I've got a small roost pole that I think I'll try putting in there with her. I think it's just wonderful that she's got the injury to hold herself up enough to roost.

Thanks CMV for the good news on the egg-laying. I'm glad to hear that it most likely won't be a problem.

 

[farrier!]

I love these great updates......I sure lots of us have subscribed to your thread and are sending well wishes to your girl!

 

[threehorses]

Wow, roosting says something for her balance! And to see an eye - wonderful!

On her laying, funny you say that - every hen I've had that was injured always laid an egg during - no matter how bad she was. So probably the best thing to do is hedge your bets and just make sure her calcium intake is good and high in case she does lay one. Apple Cider Vinegar in the water (organic) a couple of times a week, her yogurt, all these things help along with her complete ration for laying. If you're really worried about it, a crushed up tums might not hurt. I wouldn't do it often, but since she's taking in less food maybe?

I think she's doing brilliantly, no doubt because of all your hard work. I bet she feels better too - all clean and roosting! Wonderful.

 

[NashChic]

She's looking so much better!!

 

[Lolliegee]

Well, today she got to go outside for few hours. I took her outside in her tub and just covered the top with a screen. She didn't really seem to notice. I had let the chickens and ducks out in the yard and put her on the porch (which I'm forever shooing the chickens off of when they get to free range). They did seem to take some notice of her. Just one or two at a time, they'd kind of look at her and then mosey on their way. The ducks all came together and took a look too. She seemed to be a little bit aware of them, but it's hard to tell. I'll take her outside again tomorrow and see what happens.

I put a small roost in her tub and put the shavings pretty deep, so she doesn't have to work to get on it. She has pretty much been on it since I put it in there. The ding-a-ling chicken was roosting on her water bowl with all her front feathers soaking up the water. She was a mess when I first picked her up off of it.

Speaking of being a mess....whoo boy, she is fighting being fed now. She kept pulling away from me and shaking her head. It seemed she was gonna have more mash on her front than inside her. But, I did finally manage to get it down her.

When I dipped her beak in water, she was much more active about drinking it. However, she still only drank a tiny bit. I think she's just still too weak to make the effort it takes to drink or eat. She didn't even attempt to eat when I dipped her beak in her mash.

I've been giving her honey, along with the yogurt mixed into her mash. I'm hoping that will help her energy level. It does seem that since I started giving her the honey (2 days ago, I think) that her energy has improved.

She also opened her one eye again today. Not much still, but a little bit. I noticed that this eye was a bit weepy today now too. Is there anything I can do to help the weeping? The other eye is still pretty constant and she keeps wiping it off. I suppose it's a good thing, maybe helping to clear any last bits of infection, but if it's not helping anymore, I think she'd benefit from it stopping.

I guess that's all for tonight. G'night!

 

[Lorimary]

I would think that roosting on something would indicate that she is regaining some balance. I don't know if chickens have the inner ear thing that humans have that can affect balance when there is infection there? I know that in humans an ear infection can cause loss of balance and dizzyness. Possibly, if this is the same in chickens, it indicates that some of the infection around the head, is clearing up?
I think about you and your chick everyday! She's lucky she has you!