Backyard Brahmas!!

[bumpercarr]

Update: about 14 hours after disastrous discovery, 8 month old pullet is still hanging on despite injury to neck and abdomen. She's taking water (with electrolytes) through a dropper, but will only take food that is put in her mouth. I think she's in a lot of pain, if she makes it to tomorrow morning, I'll call the vet for some sort of pain relief. I don't want to give her aspirin as I am concerned about internal bleeding. She laid an egg this afternoon, I suspect it was already on its way so it was involuntary. I'm going to set the egg tomorrow morning, it may be the last one that I get out of her. Six week old chick is doing well despite the loss of one eye. It is eating and drinking on its own. It is burrowing under the wing of the older pullet, I think it will be fine and will live. I hadn't named her yet, I think I'll call her Lucky. The peeps of the chooks in the brooder seemed to encourage her along, she purred back at them even though she couldn't see them, only could hear them.

Fingers crossed that older pullet makes it to tomorrow. If she does, I think I may be able to save her. I want to be a serious breeder and I guess that I should expect some of these experiences, but at the same time, I admire any animal that has so much will to live. If she wants to make it, I'll try my best to make sure she does, whether I ever get another egg out of her or not. Both the older pullet and the 6 week old have been amazingly tolerant of my attempts to help them as much as I can. It almost seemed that every time I would start to weep uncontrollably, the older pullet would open her eyes and make a sound asking for assistance to pull me out of it. I'm totally humbled.

And again, I want to thank everyone for their support. I couldn't be here without you guys. I'm afraid that my non-chicken-owner friends have a difficult time understanding just what this is doing to me.

 

[rexannastar]

@ bumpercarr - thanks for the update. please continue to keep us posted. my heart aches for you and your girls!

 

[CarolinaHen]

bumpercarr- I'm so sorry about your birds. Hoping your two continue on the road to recovery.

 

[livininbrazil]

Update: about 14 hours after disastrous discovery, 8 month old pullet is still hanging on despite injury to neck and abdomen. She's taking water (with electrolytes) through a dropper, but will only take food that is put in her mouth. I think she's in a lot of pain, if she makes it to tomorrow morning, I'll call the vet for some sort of pain relief. I don't want to give her aspirin as I am concerned about internal bleeding. She laid an egg this afternoon, I suspect it was already on its way so it was involuntary. I'm going to set the egg tomorrow morning, it may be the last one that I get out of her. Six week old chick is doing well despite the loss of one eye. It is eating and drinking on its own. It is burrowing under the wing of the older pullet, I think it will be fine and will live. I hadn't named her yet, I think I'll call her Lucky. The peeps of the chooks in the brooder seemed to encourage her along, she purred back at them even though she couldn't see them, only could hear them.

Fingers crossed that older pullet makes it to tomorrow. If she does, I think I may be able to save her. I want to be a serious breeder and I guess that I should expect some of these experiences, but at the same time, I admire any animal that has so much will to live. If she wants to make it, I'll try my best to make sure she does, whether I ever get another egg out of her or not. Both the older pullet and the 6 week old have been amazingly tolerant of my attempts to help them as much as I can. It almost seemed that every time I would start to weep uncontrollably, the older pullet would open her eyes and make a sound asking for assistance to pull me out of it. I'm totally humbled.

And again, I want to thank everyone for their support. I couldn't be here without you guys. I'm afraid that my non-chicken-owner friends have a difficult time understanding just what this is doing to me.

Aren´t animals amazing when they realise you´re trying to help them? The chicken that I said about, when she was hurt, would just wait for me to look at her wound and treat it. now she´s all better, she legs it!

It´s amazing what they can survive. At least you´re able to get some water and food into her.
I have a young cockerel here with one eye. He lost it when he got pox, but it doesn´t slow him down a bit. I have a chicken that is blind in one eye, but she´s the boss of them all!
I´m sure your chicken will pull through, and lay more eggs for you.

 

[bumpercarr]

Again, thanks everyone for the support. So, 8 month old pullet still alive this morning. Gave her some water, she drank like she was thirsty. Called my vet who does do chickens, but he is out of town. Referred to a vet about 30 miles away. Called them, they gave me some pain killer and some antibiotics to use on her. Came home, gave her pain meds, antibiotics, mashed chick starter with milk, more water with electrolytes and put her back in the kennel. I'm hoping that the pain relief will enable her to start using her head so that she can eat and drink on her own. She's very cooperative, but I'd rather she decides how much and when instead of being forced by me every hour to eat and drink..

6 week old is doing fine. I'm going to put antibiotic in the water so that he/she gets a dose of it as well for the next 5 days or so. Older pullet isn't out of danger yet, but things are looking up.

I think after all of this is over, I'm going to take a vacation!

 

[Gryphon]

That's excellent news! The first night is the worst with wounds, now that they've got foid and painkillers in them their chances are much better. Good for you on taking such good care of your survivors.

 

[bumpercarr]

That's excellent news! The first night is the worst with wounds, now that they've got foid and painkillers in them their chances are much better. Good for you on taking such good care of your survivors.

Neither one will ever be show birds due to their injuries and I suspect that it will be along time before the older pullet lays an egg, if ever. But, they are fighting so hard to survive, the least I can do is to give them a fighting chance.

 

[WHmarans]

Again, thanks everyone for the support. So, 8 month old pullet still alive this morning. Gave her some water, she drank like she was thirsty. Called my vet who does do chickens, but he is out of town. Referred to a vet about 30 miles away. Called them, they gave me some pain killer and some antibiotics to use on her. Came home, gave her pain meds, antibiotics, mashed chick starter with milk, more water with electrolytes and put her back in the kennel. I'm hoping that the pain relief will enable her to start using her head so that she can eat and drink on her own. She's very cooperative, but I'd rather she decides how much and when instead of being forced by me every hour to eat and drink..

6 week old is doing fine. I'm going to put antibiotic in the water so that he/she gets a dose of it as well for the next 5 days or so. Older pullet isn't out of danger yet, but things are looking up.

I think after all of this is over, I'm going to take a vacation!

yay great to hear! Thanks for the update. Love it when things are looking up. Just that she's hung in there this long is hopeful.

 

[bumpercarr]

yay great to hear! Thanks for the update. Love it when things are looking up. Just that she's hung in there this long is hopeful.

After further investigation, we think it was two of the neighborhood dogs that got into the coop. I've filed a police report, just so that when I euthanize the dogs after catching them in my traps, there won't be any repercussions. I'd poison them, but then I might get an innocent instead of the two that I need to get. I just wish that I could terrify them and make them suffer like they did my birds.

Anyway, I'll update tomorrow on how the two survivors are doing.

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

For those introducing birds to a new coop/run try keeping them in the coop for a day or two first. They learn that they have food/water and it's warm/dry and safe. Then open the door for them to go out...if something scares them they usually go right back to where they were safe and will return there to roost. I'll be doing it myself this week...moving 4 hens to a new breeder coop/run that they've never been in.

Unfortunately, my setup doesn't allow for shutting the birds up inside the coop. My "coops" are more like a shed/lean-to. It offers the birds enough shelter to get out of the elements, but doesn't allow for them to be locked into the shelter. I plan to build a brooder next year, one that will be better equipped than my current method (40 gal totes)