I had a new-to-me-rooster that didn't come home last night and decided to roost somewhere that I couldn't find him. It got to about 15 degrees last night before windchill....and there was plenty of wind, too.
We found him outside crowing this morning, which was a shock to me, because I figured if one of the many predators around here didn't already get him, the cold would have.
Well we brought him in and I was only able to look at him long enough to fill his water bowl before I had to go to work. But when I got home, I spent a while with him. I brought him into our garage bathroom to hopefully wash off what looks like blood off of his crown. The cotton swab idea ended up not working and didn't want to continue with hydrogen peroxide in fear of damaging the good tissue. So I then spread on triple antibiotic ointment with my fingers (rubber gloves on) all on his comb, wattles, and earlobes where it looks like the cold took it's toll. His right eye was also fused/swollen shut, so I tried prying them open. It's almost like trying to pry your own eyes open when you have pink eye...except he didn't have any crusties.
I gave up on that because I could tell me messing with it was painful. I got a tiny bit of his eye separated. I then fed him some yogurt, and suddenly it popped open. It's still pretty swollen, even on both sides, but at least he can see.
Along with the few tablespoons of yogurt and minced garlic, I put some probiotics, electrolytes, and vitamins in his water, which I saw him drink a few times before I went in to type this. He ate all of his yogurt covered pellets.
I know that once the skin is dead, it's dead, but let me know if there's anything else I should try!! I read something about utter balm, but TSC was closed by the time I got out of work.
Another thing I'm worried about it that he shakes his head now. I'm hoping it's not brain damage from the cold. He acts normal in every other sense, but he will shake his head like he's crazy. Maybe he's just in that much pain.
Please let me know if I should be doing anything else!! Thank you in advance!
Poor baby.
I think that's blood, because there is some on the whites of his feathers and I can't find another wound anywhere...
This is before his eye opened up.
This was the night I got him...which wasn't even a week ago.
Here's him shaking his head. It's towards the end of the video...
We found him outside crowing this morning, which was a shock to me, because I figured if one of the many predators around here didn't already get him, the cold would have.
Well we brought him in and I was only able to look at him long enough to fill his water bowl before I had to go to work. But when I got home, I spent a while with him. I brought him into our garage bathroom to hopefully wash off what looks like blood off of his crown. The cotton swab idea ended up not working and didn't want to continue with hydrogen peroxide in fear of damaging the good tissue. So I then spread on triple antibiotic ointment with my fingers (rubber gloves on) all on his comb, wattles, and earlobes where it looks like the cold took it's toll. His right eye was also fused/swollen shut, so I tried prying them open. It's almost like trying to pry your own eyes open when you have pink eye...except he didn't have any crusties.
I gave up on that because I could tell me messing with it was painful. I got a tiny bit of his eye separated. I then fed him some yogurt, and suddenly it popped open. It's still pretty swollen, even on both sides, but at least he can see.
Along with the few tablespoons of yogurt and minced garlic, I put some probiotics, electrolytes, and vitamins in his water, which I saw him drink a few times before I went in to type this. He ate all of his yogurt covered pellets.
I know that once the skin is dead, it's dead, but let me know if there's anything else I should try!! I read something about utter balm, but TSC was closed by the time I got out of work.
Another thing I'm worried about it that he shakes his head now. I'm hoping it's not brain damage from the cold. He acts normal in every other sense, but he will shake his head like he's crazy. Maybe he's just in that much pain.
Please let me know if I should be doing anything else!! Thank you in advance!
Poor baby.
I think that's blood, because there is some on the whites of his feathers and I can't find another wound anywhere...
This is before his eye opened up.
This was the night I got him...which wasn't even a week ago.
Here's him shaking his head. It's towards the end of the video...
