EMERGENCY - Traumatized Hen???

[tt1912]

Today I attempted to rinse my hen's bum as it was caked with poop and very much in need of a bath. I put her in a tub and asked my friend to help lift her up a bit so i could see her bum and properly rinse it, but as my friend was holding her, she began to aggressively gag and breathe heavily. When we put her down she immediately flopped over and her comb began to turn purple. I am extremely traumatized as it was terrifying watching her stay completely still and breath heavily before recollecting herself. She looked like she was dying. I feel so guilty and horrified that I put her through that pain. Her comb eventually went back to normal, and she immediately walked herself back to the coop and just stood there silently. This may be a silly question, but can hens die from trauma like this? She is already quite old and slow, and I didn't want to speed up her death at all with this event. I'm guessing she reacted this way because my friend was holding her too tightly or she was overwhelmed from the water. I have never had a hen react to a bath this way and i feel horrible for what I have done. I'm not sure what to do, as this is my first flock as well. I'd appreciate some honest advice.

 

[Eggcessive]

My guess is that your old hen may have a crop problem, such as impacted or sour crop, or may have just had a full crop at the time. Then when you both leaned her forward and maybe down, and possibly pressed on her full crop, she vomited crop contents into her airway, blocking her breathing for a bit. It sounds like she has recovered. Did you ever get the poop off of her? It would be good to try again and do that since droppings attract flies, and maggots can cause fly strike, a deadly condition. I would just take care not to bend her forward, but just take soapy warm water and clean her off. Check her crop first thing in the morning when her crop should be empty, to see if it is empty or full, firm or squishy. Let us know what you find.

 

[tt1912]

Thank you so much. I was afraid something worse had happened to her. I will let you know if her crop seems normal or not the next morning.

 

[tt1912]

My guess is that your old hen may have a crop problem, such as impacted or sour crop, or may have just had a full crop at the time. Then when you both leaned her forward and maybe down, and possibly pressed on her full crop, she vomited crop contents into her airway, blocking her breathing for a bit. It sounds like she has recovered. Did you ever get the poop off of her? It would be good to try again and do that since droppings attract flies, and maggots can cause fly strike, a deadly condition. I would just take care not to bend her forward, but just take soapy warm water and clean her off. Check her crop first thing in the morning when her crop should be empty, to see if it is empty or full, firm or squishy. Let us know what you find.

Turns out I was overreacting. She is doing completely fine today and her crop was normal. Thank you so much for the advice! And no, i didn't fully get the poop off, but I did get most of it. I think I'll try again in a few days.

 

[Eggcessive]

Crops are usually empty normally first thing in the morning before they eat and drink, so that would be a food time to try again. Poop in warm weather does attract flies though, and maggot infestation is deadly. You can trim a little of the extra fluff and check for lice and mites as well.

 

[tt1912]

Crops are usually empty normally first thing in the morning before they eat and drink, so that would be a food time to try again. Poop in warm weather does attract flies though, and maggot infestation is deadly. You can trim a little of the extra fluff and check for lice and mites as well.

Do you have any advice for bathing chickens, especially if they're jumpy? My hen actually has a bald spot on her bum because of an attack last year. How should I approach washing the area?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would use a dishpan or Rubbermaid container with warm soapy water. I have even used a plastic bucket, and a small sink or tub works. Just put enough water in it to reach the vent area. Wet, apply the soapy water, rub off any droppings, and rinse her. The briefer the better for her. Get everything ready ahead of time including a towel for drying. Soaking which is done sometimes for legs and bumblefoot or scaly leg mites, lasts about 15 minutes. If a hen is weak or sick, they should not be bathed or soaked. Instead wipe them off with a wet soapy cloth if necessary. Someone yesterday posted a picture of a Rubbermaid container and a top with a hole in it for the head to stick out.