Dying hen.... Help

[junior67]

Us the wound swollen up, red, or hot? If that's the case, then that could be why. But if not, then I'd have to say that she's probably sick.

Thank you. Hopefully not contagious. I brood chicks in my coop and have a mama with babies out there too. I don't need my whole flock getting sick.

 

[AidKD]

Thank you. Hopefully not contagious. I brood chicks in my coop and have a mama with babies out there too. I don't need my whole flock getting sick.

I would isolate her and get on top of treating before it gets too bad. Since there isn't really any symptoms I would just start a preventative type treatment. I would make her some electrolyte water and add a little apple cider vinegar to it. Here's a recipe-
1 Cup Water
2 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt

Plain yogurt to eat is a probiotic so it'll boost her immune as well as helping her to fight off any sickness. Check her ears to make sure she doesn't have an ear infection. Make absolute certain that she's not egg bound. Check her breathing to make sure she's not wheezing or labored, and check how her crop feels.

 

[junior67]

I would isolate her and get on top of treating before it gets too bad. Since there isn't really any symptoms I would just start a preventative type treatment. I would make her some electrolyte water and add a little apple cider vinegar to it. Here's a recipe-
1 Cup Water
2 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt

Plain yogurt to eat is a probiotic so it'll boost her immune as well as helping her to fight off any sickness. Check her ears to make sure she doesn't have an ear infection. Make absolute certain that she's not egg bound. Check her breathing to make sure she's not wheezing or labored, and check how her crop feels.

I separated her as soon as I found her. She is in a crate in the house.

How do I check her ears? Her crop feels ok, she isn't wheezing but her breathing looks a bit heavier than normal but not really bad. She never had any other symptoms of being eggbound. She finally pooped, will post a pic of that and how she is keeping her legs when laying down.

The darker pic is one leg a bit out to the side, not under her. The lighter pic is the other leg stretched out behind her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The reason she's acting sick is because of the wound.

If you have Chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) then use that to clean and flush the wound out really well. If you don't have a cleanser, then mix 2teaspoons of salt with 1 quart of warm water and use that to flush and clean the wound.
Trim the gunky feathers away from that wound so you can see the extent of the damage and get some more photos of what it looks like.

Do you notice a bad odor or maggots?

 

[junior67]

The reason she's acting sick is because of the wound.

If you have Chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) then use that to clean and flush the wound out really well. If you don't have a cleanser, then mix 2teaspoons of salt with 1 quart of warm water and use that to flush and clean the wound.
Trim the gunky feathers away from that wound so you can see the extent of the damage and get some more photos of what it looks like.

Do you notice a bad odor or maggots?

I don't have any of that. So don't use hydrogen peroxide to clean it? Should I just pour that solution over it or what?

How should I go about trimming the feathers? I am worried about causing her more pain or tearing the skin more.

There was no odor that I noticed and no maggots at all.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

I don't have any of that. So don't use hydrogen peroxide to clean it? Should I just pour that solution over it or what?

How should I go about trimming the feathers? I am worried about causing her more pain or tearing the skin more.

There was no odor that I noticed and no maggots at all.

You need to thoroughly Clean / Debride the wound. Peroxide is fine to sanitize and kill germs on a "clean" wound, but if there is gunk in there, pouring peroxide is not going to remove the gunk. You have to do that first. We once made a squeeze bottle for a saline wash by poking a small hole in the top of a seltzer bottle.

As for trimming feathers, do you have any decent scissors that are sharp and cut well, but have a blunt / rounded tips? I honestly think my kids safety scissors would be the best thing, or I have a utility scissor that is strong with short blades, and not too pointy. Whatever you have.

 

[AidKD]

I separated her as soon as I found her. She is in a crate in the house.

How do I check her ears? Her crop feels ok, she isn't wheezing but her breathing looks a bit heavier than normal but not really bad. She never had any other symptoms of being eggbound. She finally pooped, will post a pic of that and how she is keeping her legs when laying down.

The darker pic is one leg a bit out to the side, not under her. The lighter pic is the other leg stretched out behind her.

You can check her ears by pulling the fluff away and just looking inside. How does her crop feel this morning?

 

[LaFleche]

To avoid further injuries, please, trim your rooster's nails and spurs.

How old and big is he? In addition to the tear under her wing he might have been too rough while mating/maybe she unwilling and caused her some kind of spine or hip injury

 

[junior67]

To avoid further injuries, please, trim your rooster's nails and spurs.

How old and big is he? In addition to the tear under her wing he might have been too rough while mating/maybe she unwilling and caused her some kind of spine or hip injury

I have a 1 yr old and a 2 yr old roo in there. Both have been good with the ladies and if they squawk and try to get away they normally let them go and move on. I do need to trim his spurs, this is the first injury I have noticed. I have one that is very docile so I think a fav to breed so she has feather loss so I got her a saddle but the others have maybe had a small patch of fluff on their back but not really feather loss even. but yes after this I have been researching how to trim them. A bit, well ok a lot, nervous but it needs to be done.

 

[junior67]

Thank you for the advice. She passed away sometime overnight.