Chicken weak and won't eat - NOT sick - please read her story....

[BeaShap]

Hi chicken peeps--
Someone found a hen TIED TO A TREE behind a mobile home park and left in the snow for at least 2 days, maybe more. Miraculously, she was alive when found. I got her last night and we went to vet this a.m. Nothing broken, no wounds, legs very weak but seem okay. No sign of illness. She is having trouble standing, although she CAN when I prop her up. Vet says she just needs to eat and regain her strength. I have laid out a buffet of choices for her and she has barely eaten anything. She had feed, scratch, corn, scrambled egg, cat food, meal worms, and minced veg. She has to eat soon or she'll die. Any ideas? I was thinking of pureeing her food and feeding her with a syringe, one drop at a time.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!!

 

[BeaShap]

She is very, very skinny - weighs 1.7 pounds.

 

[CloneFly]

Hi chicken peeps--
Someone found a hen TIED TO A TREE behind a mobile home park and left in the snow for at least 2 days, maybe more. Miraculously, she was alive when found. I got her last night and we went to vet this a.m. Nothing broken, no wounds, legs very weak but seem okay. No sign of illness. She is having trouble standing, although she CAN when I prop her up. Vet says she just needs to eat and regain her strength. I have laid out a buffet of choices for her and she has barely eaten anything. She had feed, scratch, corn, scrambled egg, cat food, meal worms, and minced veg. She has to eat soon or she'll die. Any ideas? I was thinking of pureeing her food and feeding her with a syringe, one drop at a time.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!!

Buy some baby oatmeal- the powdered kind. Make a paste and syringe feed it to her. If she takes that, add powderized meal worms for protein. I keep parrot hand feeding formula on me, but the above recipe is a decent substitute. I would also get some B12 into her to perk her up. I'm so sorry to hear this happened to the poor baby. Humans can be so cruel

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Hi chicken peeps--
Someone found a hen TIED TO A TREE behind a mobile home park and left in the snow for at least 2 days, maybe more. Miraculously, she was alive when found. I got her last night and we went to vet this a.m. Nothing broken, no wounds, legs very weak but seem okay. No sign of illness. She is having trouble standing, although she CAN when I prop her up. Vet says she just needs to eat and regain her strength. I have laid out a buffet of choices for her and she has barely eaten anything. She had feed, scratch, corn, scrambled egg, cat food, meal worms, and minced veg. She has to eat soon or she'll die. Any ideas? I was thinking of pureeing her food and feeding her with a syringe, one drop at a time.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!!

That poor little girl! I agree with the other person, you should try syringe feeding. If you can find baby bird formula, that works well. Is she drinking water? Some homemade electrolytes will also help her perk up.

 

[BeaShap]

That poor little girl! I agree with the other person, you should try syringe feeding. If you can find baby bird formula, that works well. Is she drinking water? Some homemade electrolytes will also help her perk up.

Thank you - I put poultry electrolytes and vitamins in her water.

 

[BeaShap]

Buy some baby oatmeal- the powdered kind. Make a paste and syringe feed it to her. If she takes that, add powderized meal worms for protein. I keep parrot hand feeding formula on me, but the above recipe is a decent substitute. I would also get some B12 into her to perk her up. I'm so sorry to hear this happened to the poor baby. Humans can be so cruel

Thank you so much - since I posted, I have been feeding her tiny pieces of scrambled egg and corn which she is swallowing. Water via syringe. I will do extra B12. Thank you!!

Buy some baby oatmeal- the powdered kind. Make a paste and syringe feed it to her. If she takes that, add powderized meal worms for protein. I keep parrot hand feeding formula on me, but the above recipe is a decent substitute. I would also get some B12 into her to perk her up. I'm so sorry to hear this happened to the poor baby. Humans can be so cruel

 

[FunClucks]

Buy some baby oatmeal- the powdered kind. Make a paste and syringe feed it to her. If she takes that, add powderized meal worms for protein. I keep parrot hand feeding formula on me, but the above recipe is a decent substitute. I would also get some B12 into her to perk her up. I'm so sorry to hear this happened to the poor baby. Humans can be so cruel

Powdered baby oatmeal is fortified with vitamins that babies (and birds?) need. Regular oatmeal or adult oatmeal, or sometimes even off-brand oatmeal isn't. So check the nutrition label on the back before you buy. For those who are interested in trying this.

ETA: Best to compare to the nutrition birds need, and fortify as necessary if you try this.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Make her a wet mash out of her poultry feed and see if that makes a difference.

While oatmeal sounds great, it doesn't have the protein or nutrients needed.

Any injury to the legs?

 

[OwO]

Any updates on her? That makes me so angry and sad that someone would do that

 

[Cat Ballou]

I’d try a couple different flavors of baby food. Whatever they’re willing to eat in a crisis go with it. Baby food will deliver moisture and sugar/carbs/energy with the idea that it will whet the appetite after the glycemic rush. Look for baby food with 1%-2% protein (fruit with Greek yogurt or oatmeal). It’s worked for my flock several times.