Frozen chicken

[apbgv]

One of my girls got her feet wet in the water and went out in the snow, she couldn't have been out any more than 10 minutes as I had just been out there. When I found her her feet were frozen with snow and she had ice in her beak. I brought her in and rinsed her feet with warm water and got the ice out of her mouth, she is set up in my bathroom but she is having a very hard time breathing. anything else to do for her except tlc her sis Louise is lost with out her. Of course I blame myself this

 

[speckledhen]

Other than having her water slightly warm with vitamins and electrolytes if you have them, and under a heat lamp, I don't know. She needs to get warm and rest.

 

[picklespickles]

i dont' know what to say. but good luck!

oh, and dont' blame yourself.

 

[Bubba]

Keep her warm and dry is all. She has water to drink right. Not to much to do but wait, hope and see. If her mouth was full of snow she might have goten some inside of her lungs. (Not sure if anything you can do about that)


Bubba

 

[Pinenot]

If she is still wet, you need to blow dry her with warm air. It may help to also put a towel in the dryer, get it warm and snuggle her for a while.

 

[SpottedCrow]

I'd bring her buddy in too...being frozen is bad enough, but the company might be good for her stress level.

 

[dragonlili]

There is a PBS chicken video in which a chicken was left out (accidently) in freezing cold weather. The lady gave her hen "mouth to beak" resussitation and brought her inside. She had her in a crib near the TV and gave her plenty of attention. Well, the hen responded to the voices on the TV, the women said she liked the "doctor shows"

I agree, though, company is good for any ailing critter.
Good luck

 

[jjthink]

I'm so sorry that your hen is in such distress.

I once had 2 roos show up on my property out of nowhere. This was 12 years back, long before I had chickens or chicken accomodations or any knowledge whatsoever of chickens. So they were living outside while I was trying desperately and around the clock to find them a good home. While they normally got along famously, it suddenly snowed 2 feet and they got very stressed and fought and there was blood everywhere (picture red snow - it was a horror show) and they wouldn't let me get near them to break it up till things got pretty bad. I finally got them separated but later the one that was hurt worst - he wouldn't let me near him - I found that he had frozen to the ground. It was truly heartbreaking and it was fiercely brutally cold outside. Everytime I tried to get near him he stressed terribly - thought he was going to have a heart attack.

Eventually - long story - got him freed from the ice with the some help from an animal control person that was kind enough to come out from a nother county and help me. It looke dlike this roo was going to die - he couldn't stand up, was not moving - bad scene. I put him in a box on soft towels in a quiet room, with classical music playing softly, kept it warm and peaceful while I made calls day after day to try to find out how to help him (I didn't know squat about chickens then). He couldn't/didn't eat for - I swear on a stack of bibles - 7 days. Looked for all the world like a dead chicken. Every place I called (feed stores, vets, 4-H, farms...) either never called back, said they didn't know what to do or said to have him for dinner, that it wasn't worth trying to help him because chickens are so cheap. Wrong thing to say to me because to me he was priceless.

Miraculously on Day 7 this roo stood up. I turned a bathroom into a chicken infirmary for him and he spent some weeks recuperating in there, with straw, perches, good food. One morning I heard crowing coming from the bathroom and knew he was on his way back. He fully recovered, and learned to trust me Thus began my odyssey with chickens.

I tell this story just to let you know that I think there's hope for your feathered friend and I am sending good wishes for her speedy recovery. I agree wholeheartedly about her having another feathered friend with her. In more recent years a total sweetheart of a roo I have was badly injured by a dog that someone let off its leash (grrrr,,don't get me started). BJ roo looked as though he wasn't going to make it but once I put his lady friend Betty in with him (he also recuperated in my bathroom) he seemed to find a reason to get well.

Keep us posted. JJ

 

[SpottedCrow]

Judy, that's a wonderful story...not the best chickening start, but a lovely story.

 

[hinkjc]

Amy, when you say she is having trouble breathing..can you explain more? Is she panting or gasping? Panting would be a normal reaction to coming in from icey cold conditions to a warm house. Gasping could be another issue. I hope she is feeling better soon.

Jody