Chicken found alive after 1-2 months of being trapped

[Lacy Duckwing]

I just read through this thread. It's absolutely amazing what chickens can survive! There's been some amazing replies here too! I'll add some suggestions, though.

Sun. Try bringing her outside to get fresh clean air every once in awhile, and be sure she gets some sunlight on her. Chickens naturally sun bathe, and where she's been in the dark for so long, so she really needs some. Only a few minutes at a time will be good, and necessary.

Physical Therapy. I saw someone has already mentioned this. This may end up as a must. (If you need someone to help hold your hen, then get an extra hand.) First, place a finger or two in her claw. Gently pushing her leg inward, this should be the first thing. That is the perching position, so it'd be good to start with. Do that a couple of times with each leg. As she gets stronger, start having her feet on the ground as you gently lift her up and down. That'd be the next exercise. IF SHE NEEDS ANY NUTRIENTS TO HELP WITH HER MUSCLES, BE SURE SHE'S HAVING THEM BEFORE EXERCISING.

 

[LoveMyGurls]

Thank you for the updates. I'm reading them with bated breath. Oh, come on little one. You can do it!!!

 

[cluckmecoop7]

How is she doing today?

 

[McChooky]

View attachment 2893095
Day 2: She’s still with us!!! Someone asked about her name. It’s Blondie
I bought all the electrolytes yesterday, lol (Save-a-chick, Poultry Cell, and Nutri Drench). I gave her .5 ml each of the poultry cell & Nutra drench with a syringe yesterday. She was able to hold up her head on her own starting yesterday morning but was still slumped on her side.
Today she keeps trying to get up, but isn’t able to. She is able to change her position around though, so she’s not on her side as much. It makes me so nervous when she flaps bc I’m scared she’ll hurt herself and/or expend too much energy. But it must be a good sign She’s definitely fighting!
I’ve been continuing to offer her water and mash, and this morning she ate 1/4 of an egg white. She’s also wanting to peck, so I put some grit in there with her.
So far, so good, but I’m worried about refeeding syndrome. I’m trying to feed her slowly and mainly push electrolyte water.
I read somewhere on the internet that the most dangerous time is the first 4 days of feeding
I wish I could put the food and water in there with her, but she moves/flaps around trying to get up and would knock it over.
Overall, we’re cautiously hopeful!!!
But she’s so skinny though. I’ve told myself that if she doesn’t make it, at least she would know she’s cared for and wouldn’t die alone in the dark and cold.
We’re keeping her in our kids bathtub, the same one where she lived as chick this past spring So I like to think she remembers being safe here.
If she does make it, I don’t know how long I’ll have to keep her in there. I guess until she jumps out, but that may be wishful thinking. We’ll just take it day by day!
I can’t thank you all enough for all the advice and support!! What a great community y’all ha e built here!!

We would love to see if she made it thru the first couple days which would have been the hardest !Thanks!

 

[klb25]

Checking in on Blondie. Hope she is doing well.

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

Checking in on Blondie. Hope she is doing well.

Hopefully blondie is progressing well cant wait to hear...

 

[EmmaDonovan]

This is an amazing thread. It demonstrates the tenacity of hens and how much we really care about them! I'm learning a lot, too.

Keep fighting, Blondie!

 

[Lizzy733]

Refeed would be an issue for any animal. Most importantly, and this is why you are always told to introduce new foods gradually, is her gut biome would have taken a hit. Most if the beneficial bacteria in her gut that break down more complex portions of the food will have starved and it takes time for them to reestablish.

A poultry aid containing probiotics, like polyaid, can help rebuild that gut Flora. Keep her feeds soft and diverse - a thin slurry. Apple juice is the usual go-to for chickens and apple sauce.

Our vet added lorikeet wet mix to the slurry when we were working with a critically ill hen who'd lost weight.

Refrain from anything solid and make sure her crop is emptying regularly. It's excellent she's made it this far.

For physio, gentle manipulation of limbs along their natural range of movement and promoting grip as mentioned above are all good ideas.

At that point you may want to start adding extra protein to her slurry to promote muscle development.

 

[kurby22]

So glad to hear Blondie is still fighting! I sure hope the sweet girl makes it!

 

[McChooky]

Welcome!
It's easy to have her aspirate fluids into her lungs when she's so weak. Could you possibly take her to an emergency clinic tonight?
If she can drink herself, that's great! And I don't know if chickens have a 'refeeding syndrome' problem, like many species have. Call an avian veterinarian in the morning about it, because it makes a difference in how she's fed.
All advice so far has been really good.
Mary

Sound advice! I hope she found a vet that treats chickens.That would help a lot!