Have you seen this before? Head injury shock

[Helen_Jayne]

My silkie cockerel jumped up startled and banged his head on a bench, he flailed on the floor for a minute and since then (over an hour) has been unconscious but as if he is fast asleep roosting. His head is upright, his feathers are fluffed like he's on his perch and he snuffles his beak like he's content, but he won't come round.
I love this bird, so gutted! I've got him in a box in a quiet place, given him some rescue remedy and reiki. I just never thought a chicken could be so delicate.
Has anyone seen this and is it likely he'll recover?

 

[chickens really]

Possibly a brain injury..Let him rest for the day.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My silkie cockerel jumped up startled and banged his head on a bench, he flailed on the floor for a minute and since then (over an hour) has been unconscious but as if he is fast asleep roosting. His head is upright, his feathers are fluffed like he's on his perch and he snuffles his beak like he's content, but he won't come round.
I love this bird, so gutted! I've got him in a box in a quiet place, given him some rescue remedy and reiki. I just never thought a chicken could be so delicate.
Has anyone seen this and is it likely he'll recover?

How is he doing?

 

[micstrachan]

How’s your little guy? My sister does reiki, too. Good idea!

 

[Notaneggspurt]

hope he's improved.
Does he have a very large crest?

 

[Helen_Jayne]

We're in UK so its just morning now; he doesn't seem much better this morning although he does stand up fine, he isn't making any noise or moving. I'm going to try and get him to eat some scrambled egg in a minute. He's a very boisterous and full-of-himself cockerel, it's sad seeing him like this.
Weirdly we'd also just got back from giving back our other cockerel to the people we got the chicks from because we're in terraced housing in a city and 2 cockerels is too much - and within half an hour he did this!
He does have quite a big crest with a lot of feathers. I think that's why he got startled because his vision isn't that good and he didn't see the broom to the side of him, then jumped when he saw it and hit the bench. I brought the two silkies up from chicks and pretty sad about it :-(

 

[Notaneggspurt]

Give him some more time. He could be in extra cautious mode. Does his crest block his vision much? Are you able to see his eyes without moving anything out of the way?

 

[Helen_Jayne]

Thanks for your help. His eyes are open, he seems unsteady, like when he tries to stretch his leg or wing he wobbles and gives up. What's bothering me is I can't get him to eat, I tried him with scrambled egg, he wouldn't eat it. I've been putting honey water on his beak which seemed to perk him up a bit but I really think he needs to get some food in him. I'm off now to get mixed corn (his favourite) as we just ran out. Honestly, it's all happening at once we normally always have corn and mealworms.
Do you have any recommendations for how to get them to eat and what to try?
(I love your quote by the way by Terry Pratchett!)

 

[Notaneggspurt]

Rest and as little stress as possible. With him being in different surroundings it might just have him on high alert. They'll tend to be quite to not attract attention to themselves when injured or disoriented. I think you're on the right course. Comfort food to get him interested is good. Hydration even if he doesn't want to eat. And a cuppa for you!

 

[Helen_Jayne]

Thanks love. I appreciate it. I think this has got to me because when I was a little girl I had a pet cockerel called Cocky Locky Tu-tu, as a chick I took him everywhere with me even to school! He got attacked in front of me by a dog but he didn't die for about an hour. When he died my dad was holding him and he flew across the room and died in my arms. Do you know what I'm 40 years old and I still cry over that cockerel sometimes and it's not as if I haven't had seemingly bigger things to cry about since! So I think this brings it back to me in a way. But at the same time, blimey, what a dozy bird to knock himself out like this. I don't think Cocky would've done that xx