Help! Hen has strong around her tounge!

[filbertfam]

Our dearest hen has a single thread of bailing twine wrapped around her tounge so tight I can't get to it to clip it free. Her tounge is so swollen that I can't reach it. I have been trying to in wrap the two end strings but am feeling it isn't doing any good. I am starting to feel like I should just cut the long string and hopefully it loosens up? Or her tounge falls out.

What can I do?!

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Welcome to BYC! You need to cut it as much as you can and try to loosen it. How is she doing?

 

[filbertfam]

She was so tolerant of me trying to get to it, but was getting stressed and needed some water, I cut the longest peice it to a better length, (about 3 inches hanging out of her mouth, then she swallowed that tail end and I just fished the end back out of her throat. She is out walking with the other chickens and drinking water but her tounge is SO swollen I cannot get to the string.

I have tried in winding them but again it is so tight the ends of the string aren't unwinding. They just get shirt as I go around the tounge, both ways! I can't be sure which way is the right way to unwind and I am afraid to pull on the strings and make it any tighter.

I have a very tiny crochet like needle (with smooth barb at the end) I am trying to push up against the swollen area to hopefully hook the loop and slip some small scissors with.

I really don't want to lose this sweet gal.

 

[filbertfam]

She is able to drink and eat, and seems to be behaving like the others. i just tried again and cut the strings shorter so they won't totally go down her throat but I cannot get that little crochet needle up next to where it is so tight due to how swollen her tounge is. It is very pale in color. After I attempt to loosen it, she walks around with her mouth open. (It's also pretty warm here today but she has access to cool shade and water)

 

[pattyhen]

Do you have someone who can help you? Wrap her in a towel and one person hold her mouth open and the other one work on the string. Good luck I hope you get it off her soon.

 

[sawilliams]

A pair of those tiny nail scissors might be small enough to get under the string. Just an idea, hope it helps

 

[pattyhen]

Can you give us an update? Is she ok and did you get the string off?

 

[filbertfam]

I cut the string short enough that it won't hang down her throat but I cannot get to the tightest string. The harder I push to get to it she jerks and shakes her head down (probably in pain). I haven't been able to even feel it with as swollen as it is. She is very tolerant of me holding her mouth open and digging up next to the base where it is tight. But if I go to the back of the tongue, and push to try and find the string, she pulls her head down so fast and so far down, I would have to basically strangle her and I don't want to be to rough and hurt her more. What is the worst case?

 

[filbertfam]

Also I should add that she's making that face because I have her mouth held open and am pushing her tongue up from under her mouth so I can work on it. But here is a good picture of how swollen it is. I have since cut the strings much shorter as they were falling all the way back down the throat.

 

[pattyhen]

Poor thing I know that has got to hurt. I wish I had some good advice for you but I don't. She's in my prayers.