- Aug 9, 2009
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This afternoon around 6:00, I let the chicken out to free range while my husband and I watched. It has been unnormally hot, so I thought some time in the cool grass under the trees would be nice. After an hour, it had cooled down to 84 (their run is shaded but no grass) so I called them in. All came running, except one Dominique. I found her laying under a tree panting. None of the others appeared overly hot or stressed but she couldn't get up. We put her in the run, misted her with a water mister and then wetted the ground around and under her with tepid water. I then put then fence around her (it is a chicken playpen for baby chickens) so the others wouldn't pick at her. I gave her fresh cool water with some cool watermelon. She took a couple of bites of melon, but drank no water. She appears not to be able to get up. We now have her in the segregation area of the hen house with a fan blowing on her. Her head is up and tail is up but she still isn't getting up. Earlier this year, she was wounded and pecked. Is she now always going to be sickly? This is just the beginning of the heat. Should I cull her, since she is sickly? I would rather put her down than come home and find her pecked and dead. I just can not imagine what happened to her, and of course she is my most tame and friendly. Advice would be apprecieated. Did I treat her appropriately for heat exhaustion/stroke? and if a chicken has had a bout with sickness and comes back, will they always be sickly?
Thanks for any advice.....
Thanks for any advice.....