Feeling so bad for her...

[LTygress]

That did not turn out well. Not at all. I put her out there, and everyone seemed okay. I went to check this morning and she's happily sitting on them and the other chickens seemed to leave her alone.


I don't know what changed in three hours. I went back out to check again, and one chick was completely outside of the pen altogether (they can fit through the lattice on the gate easily). Two more were laying on the ground about ten feet from the nest. One of those was upside down kicking, but NOT trying to turn back over, and chirping loudly. The other was just hunched down on his belly really tight to the ground. Three of my bigger hens were standing over them - but NOT trying to keep them warm!

I took those three back to the nest and found the other two still in there, chirping for mommy. Mommy was out against the side of the pen where the first one was found, as if trying to call him back into the pen. I put her back in the nest, and she sat on them just fine, realizing they were all there. Then I checked the them all over. One of the guys that was still in the nest had a large 1-inch spot of exposed tissue. But he's acting very lively and it's not actively bleeding, so I'm sure he'll be okay.

The one I found out of the nest hunched down right-side-up is being very lethargic though. I see no visible signs of damage, but he could have been stepped on, pecked at hard enough, or even just cold (he is kinda cool to the touch right now).

So I made sure they were all back in the nest, plopped mommy tightly on top of them, tossed in the eggs I gathered from the other hens laying, and brought them all inside and set her nest box in my bedroom floor, right next to the vent for the heating system. I gave her a mug full of water with vitamin B added, used an eyedropper to give some to the lethargic one and the injured one (giving mommy some in between because she's already spoiled like that), put some food right there in her nest for her and the babies, and I've been watching them for the past hour.

So far they are all doing good. The little lethargic one has been hiding under mommy, and I don't want to take him out just yet, because he needs that heat. Another hour or so and I'll check to make sure he's still alive. I don't know what I'm going to do with this poor girl now. My brooder is full of older babies. She can't be in the main pen right now because they terrorize the babies. She can't be in the breeding pen, because of whatever got in and killed her original eggs. And she can't be in the weathering pen because it has no roof.

And I really don't want a mini-flock of mommy and five babies living in my bedroom all winter.

Ugh. I'll figure something out. Just not sure what right now. I'm more interested in making sure they're all surviving this bad encounter. This poor hen has had NO luck with hatching her own eggs this time around! I've never had any of this happen before, and now it's all happening to her at once.

 

[LTygress]

She stood up for a moment, and they all came out to eat except the one lethargic one, so I went ahead and snapped a pic.

I don't think the lethargic one is going to make it. I went ahead and put him back in the actual incubator so mommy could get up and stretch, but he would still be warm. I noticed as I moved him, that he had dark red on the edges of his beak, so he almost definitely has internal injuries of some sort. But in the incubator, the others won't be pushing him around and walking on him (which could potentially reopen any clotted internal wounds), so it is his best chance. I don't expect any miracles though.

I'm surprised he survived this long, so there's a TINY chance he'll be okay. But once he was warmed up by mommy, he didn't perk up at all, so I'm really not expecting him to make it.

 

[Shabana]

Poor little hen - she's been through such a lot. I'm so glad you've taken her in babies look completely adorable, hope the little lethargic one makes it.
Sounds like you have it all in hand bless you for caring. I have a 12 week old maran living with us at the moment so I get where you're coming from. Have a look at the story in my signature if you get a sec.

Is vitamin b good for them ? And when would you use it ?

Hope everything goes swimmingly for you and your little brood xx

 

[LTygress]

Vitamin B is good for their nervous system, and for making red blood cells. It is also something that chickens can be deficient on quite easily, because of how it is absorbed and used.

I woke up this morning to VERY loud chirping from the incubator. The lethargic one was up, hopping around, and looking for another living being. I put him back with momma, and she sat on him for a bit. But she kept getting up and flapping her wings to get the "kids" out. She walked them around my room to explore and forage. Unfortunately for her, it was freshly vacuumed right before she was brought inside.

The lethargic one mostly just wants to stay warm and sleep. But he's eating and drinking with the others now. And mommy does give in now and then and lets him get warmed back up.

I finally moved them back outside too. They are in the now-empty breeding pen... inside of a dog house! So double the "walls" between them and predators, now. And mommy is the only adult in there, so I know they won't get picked on by the bigger chickens.

Lethargic one is still not in the clear yet. But he's doing SO much better. And as I have been told before, as long as an animal is still eating and drinking, they have a VERY good chance of making it.

 

[Shabana]

That's simply fabulous news, it all sounds very positive
Thanks for the vit b info I'm gonna get some for my chicken first aid kit. Is it good to give it them every now and then ? Or just when they are suffering with some complaint or other ? I assume it must be very good if they have lost blood in an attack ?

Hope everything continues to go well hun. Good luck x

 

[LTygress]

Well, it's good to give to them on a regular basis.

Vitamin B (all versions) is constantly being used up by their body, and they should constantly be eating it. So it should be a regular part of their diet. I give Vitamin B to mine when they are sick or injured, since they may need a little more to help rebuild.

So you CAN give it to them every now and then for the heck of it. But really, they should be getting it in their diet, already. If not, you'll notice something wrong with your birds and/or the hatching chicks.



I do have bad news though. The little lethargic one didn't make it. He passed away this afternoon. I guess the internal injuries finally took it's toll and he couldn't fight them anymore.

 

[LTygress]

But in good news, the one with a big open wound is still doing just fine. He's happily jumping on top of mommy, and following her around as she looks for food for them to eat. And the other three are just as chipper, so I have no doubt they will make it.

I don't have water soluble antibiotic, only the kind for injection into muscle of under the skin. And I didn't want to give the little wounded one a shot, so I drew a lot from the vial, and into a syringe. Then I emptied the syringe into an eyedropper, and dropped the solution directly onto his open wound.

It turned him yellowER for now (he's a leghorn cross), but I'm going to do that occasionally just to make sure that wound doesn't get infected. He's not slowing down though, so I consider it a good sign!

 

[Shabana]

Aww sorry to hear the chick didn't make it poor thing
The other one sounds like he's not letting it hold him back tho !! Good idea with the antibiotic - over here we can pretty much only get the water soluble one and that's with a visit to a vet and prescription :/

 

[cmfarm]

What a happy ending! I am glad the rest are all doing so well. Sorry you lost the one injured one (and the first batch)

. But it is good to hear the rest are all doing so well now.