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Coop fire

Discussion in 'Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures' started by AphroAt, Nov 17, 2014.

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  1. Nov 17, 2014 #1
    AphroAt

    AphroAt Hatching

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    Without going into details as to how it happened - I had a coop fire this morning. It's a small coop and I only had three birds (note "had"). One of my girls is in my spare bathroom in ICU. She's lost an eye, her comb/wattles/ears are badly burned, and she lost a lot of feathers but I can't find any burns on her body.

    My first aid so far:

    Trimmed and wiped away as much charred feather material as possible.

    Poured cool water over the bird's head to rinse the comb/wattles. After allowing these to air-dry I coated all the exposed skin with generic antibiotic ointment.

    Force-fed two tablespoons of 50/50 water/whey - hydration plus calories.

    ICU = my largest pet taxi, with a strap-on water dispenser and a dish of layer feed.

    If I end up having to put her down I will, but if there's something else I can do to help her improve I'll do that as well. Should I dose her drinking water with antibiotic? Continue force-feeding water or water/whey?

    Suggestions please?
     
  2. Nov 17, 2014 #2
    ten chicks

    ten chicks Songster

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    May 9, 2013
    MB,Canada
  3. Nov 17, 2014 #3
    Eggcessive

    Eggcessive Free Ranging Premium Member 7 Years

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    southern Ohio
    Sorry about your fire, and the loss of your chickens. With the burned areas you describe, and the pain that may be associated, I would seriously think about putting her down. I would try to get some Sulfadene burn cream (or a prescription) from a regular vet. Drug stores will have it in the pharmacy. An good antibiotic from the vet would also be a good idea. The only antibiotics from feed stores that might help would be procaine penicillin G shots or Gallimycin (erythromycin) but the ones from the vet's would be better. I would feed her vitamin and electrolyte water for the next few days (SaveAChick or Rooster Booster is easy to find.) Offer her scrambled egg, canned tuna, or ground meat in addition to her regular feed. Buttermilk (small amounts) or a good probiotic such as Probios would also be good. Adding buttermilk or the electrolyte water to her feed may increase her liquid intake which is very important. Aspirin 81mg (low dose or baby aspirin) or 1/4 of an adult aspirin may be given twice a day for pain. With burns they lose body heat, so keep her warm, and I wish you luck with her. Here is a good link to threads on crop feeding if you need them: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding
     

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