Could things get any worse?! Frozen Wing/Feet, dehydration, and lice/mites

[Angie Poo]

I hatched some eggs back in August resulting in a single chick due to a massive temperature spike. This one and only chick lived in a brooder in my room for months, knows his name, follows me, and now clearly doesn't know how to be a chicken.

He has spent the last 3 months with the rest of our flock and the other day I went out to find him with frozen feet! the poor guy apparently didn't get the picture of how to use the coop and had feet frozen like ice cubes along with the tip of his wing. So I brought him inside defrosted him and he was doing much better.

Because of the extra time I am spending with him I realized he has lice/mites and needs to be treated. I have been unable to start treatment (on him or the others) and he seems to have started to go down hill very lethargic. Wouldn't eat/drink then causing dehydration on top of it all.

So with limited resources and information I have given him 1cc of red cell, force fed him 18cc of electrolytes, and fed him a handful of layer pellets/crumbles and a scrambled egg. He has shown improvement , eating on his own but is still refusing to entertain the idea of drinking water.

I am going to the store tomorrow to buy stuff to treat him and the others for lice/mites.

What else should/could I be doing for him?

 

[QuackSpeak]

Hello! It seems like ur doing everything right for the little guy..Yes, definitely start treatment as soon as u can. To get him to drink water, maybe mix a small pinch of sugar in, to entice him. Other than that, everything seems fine. He's warm, has food, comfort...

After this, if it's so obvious that he doesn't know how to be a chicken, I would slowly introduce him to the others and the coop. Take him outside in the afternoons, and have him watch the chickens from outside the coop - that way, he and the chickens can see each other, interact, but not hurt each other. As for using the coop, I would lure him w food so he gets the picture that the coop is safe lol. If he and the other chickens seem to be getting along, I would do short supervised sessions with him actually in the pen with them..

On top of everything, don't do anything I have suggested if u are not comfortable with it. He's ur chicken, I am not an expert, and it's ur call

Keep up the good work!

 

[centrarchid]

Check stool for worm sign.

 

[Angie Poo]

Hello! It seems like ur doing everything right for the little guy..Yes, definitely start treatment as soon as u can. To get him to drink water, maybe mix a small pinch of sugar in, to entice him. Other than that, everything seems fine. He's warm, has food, comfort...

After this, if it's so obvious that he doesn't know how to be a chicken, I would slowly introduce him to the others and the coop. Take him outside in the afternoons, and have him watch the chickens from outside the coop - that way, he and the chickens can see each other, interact, but not hurt each other. As for using the coop, I would lure him w food so he gets the picture that the coop is safe lol. If he and the other chickens seem to be getting along, I would do short supervised sessions with him actually in the pen with them..

On top of everything, don't do anything I have suggested if u are not comfortable with it. He's ur chicken, I am not an expert, and it's ur call ​

Keep up the good work!

Thank you for the input. He is more active today and seems to be taking a step in the right direction. I tried some sugar in the water and he drank some but not a lot (still an improvement though). I have started treating him for lice and many dead ones have fallen off of him (good sign that their dieing but I'm a bit grossed out by the creepy crawlies).

Chicken Little will be staying inside for the remainder of the winter then I will figure out his living arrangements. He had seemed to be doing well with the other chicks his age that were hen raised but this clearly shows they learned somethings he didn't (I might just have a house rooster after this ordeal).

 

[QuackSpeak]

Glad I could help! And, believe me, if I had the time, then every pet of mine would be an indoor pet - so have fun!! And sorry about the dead lice haha