Hi, I live in southern Ontario and in the past few days we have seen the coldest temp's in 20 years. I have been diligent checking on my 6 girls daily (coop is insulated and they have a heat lamp 24/7 + heated water dish), however on Monday I noticed one of my WLH's was partially egg bound, also there was matted/frozen poop attached her to bum feathers. She was fairly lethargic and definitely weak. I was able to remove the egg and clip most of the matted poop away, she looked swollen, bare and sore - . Last night my husband went to the coop to check on her, and she was the only hen not roosting on the perches (odd)...we brought her inside the house for the night to warm up and this morning I made sure she had some water, it doesn't appear she's eaten any feed though. I should note that she does seem to be pooping fine. She also seemed a bit perkier, clucking and moving around more. We plan to keep her in the house for the next day or so. My question is (finally getting to it! lol), what else can we do for her? Soak in epsom salts? How do I make sure she eats? This is my first serious issue with any of my girls and I'm stressing out a bit. Thanks in advance for all responses! I am so grateful for this site and the contributors!
You can soak her bottom in warm water may help with the swelling/irritation. Did she have a prolapse with stuck egg,if yes try using preparation H to help swelling/shrinks prolapse. If just red/irritated,you can apply an antibiotic ointment(nothing ending in "cane/caine" toxic to chickens)to her bottom or vetericyn or similar product,should help with swelling/irritation. Keep her warm and quiet for a couple of days or longer if bottom is still red/sore,you do not want any other chickens to start pecking at her and causing serious damage. Does she have enough calcium in diet? Check her crop daily to ensure she is eating and to rule out crop issues. Make sure she is drinking water as chickens can become dehydrated very fast. Try giving her some of her favourite foods to encourage eating,make a mash out of feed by adding warm water so that it resembles oatmeal,most chickens love this. Make sure she has access to grit if staying in the house. If she does not eat,you may want to look into tube feeding,very easy to do.
