Help!

[Wolfe620915]

I let my chickens out this morning for maybe 2 hours and found this hen with swollen waddles, she isn’t very active and I’m concerned if I need to separate her from the rest of the flock or just keep an eye on her

 

[LaFleche]

Are both of her wattles swollen?

Could she have been stung by an insect? If so, you could try some Benadryl.

 

[Wolfe620915]

Are both of her wattles swollen?

Could she have been stung by an insect? If so, you could try some Benadryl.

Yes, and as far as I could tell this morning when I let them out to free range she was fine. I should add that I don’t normally free range them and have just recently started getting brave enough to let them out. Getting stung would be highly possible because we have a horrible wasp problem here. I was really concerned about it being a snake because we also have a lot of Copperheads here but from what I can tell the swelling has not increased in the last few hours.

 

[LaFleche]

Yes, and as far as I could tell this morning when I let them out to free range she was fine. I should add that I don’t normally free range them and have just recently started getting brave enough to let them out. Getting stung would be highly possible because we have a horrible wasp problem here. I was really concerned about it being a snake because we also have a lot of Copperheads here but from what I can tell the swelling has not increased in the last few hours.

Oh dear, wasp infestation and copperheads all over the place!

If it were a copperhead bite there would be nothing you could do anyways.
A wasp sting will hurt for a day or three, but if you keep her well hydrated and fed she will be fine.

 

[Wolfe620915]

Oh dear, wasp infestation and copperheads all over the place!

If it were a copperhead bite there would be nothing you could do anyways.
A wasp sting will hurt for a day or three, but if you keep her well hydrated and fed she will be fine.

Would it be a good idea to isolate her from the flock to keep her comfortable? I was thinking about bringing her in the house to help keep her cool and make sure she is eating a drinking. Right now we are getting triple digit heat so I know it does not take long for them to overheat if they aren’t drinking water

 

[LaFleche]

Would it be a good idea to isolate her from the flock to keep her comfortable? I was thinking about bringing her in the house to help keep her cool and make sure she is eating a drinking. Right now we are getting triple digit heat so I know it does not take long for them to overheat if they aren’t drinking water

You could try that or just feel her crop at roosting time to see if it is well filled.
Chickens will often feel stressed when being removed from the flock, so I would just provide fresh cool, not cold water with added electrolytes and lots of deep shade and coop ventilation to help with the heat.