Hi there, needing some HELP (please help) with my girls :)

[RI BY Chickenlady]

It sounds like you didn't, or weren't able to, check on them Friday and Saturday? I think its likely they fought amongst themselves. If their water froze early on in their two days of being cooped up, they were most likely extremely thirsty and than may have affected their temperament.

It seems unlikely to me that it is a predator, other than maybe something like a rat. Otherwise there would have done more damage then you described.

I agree, separate the injured one into a dog kennel or something. Keep her warm and if she is not drinking on her own, get an eye-dropper or syringe and manually give her water with a little nutri-drench and honey in it. Just be careful when doing so, that you put the liquid down her esophagus, not her trachea. She may be extremely dehydrated and that can cause a bird to go downhill fast.

Thanks for the reply. We did check on them twice a day on Friday and Saturday (early morning and late afternoon) we just kept their door shut due to deep snow and high winds and freezing cold. Sometime between late afternoon Sat and Sunday morning is when the lamp was busted and the water froze and they had their fight. Not sure if it was soon after we checked them on Sat. or during the night, or even early Sunday morning. I just know the water was frozen solid. Not sure how long that takes to happen at -15 but I'm guessing pretty quick. There was still an abundance of feed in their bowl as well, left over from Sat. Just the water was unusable.
I dont think it was a predator as there were no tracks in the snow other than mine and the coop is fairly secure. Its well ventilated, but the doors close tight. I dont think anything got in there with them.
The 2 injured ones are not being bothered by the others, only the 1 with the eye issue seems troubled. She wouldnt come out this morning, or eat that I could see. The other went out like no big deal today and doesnt seem bothered by the cut on her crown at all. Will clean and treat her eye as soon as I get home. Stuck at the office... worried sick of course...

 

[RI BY Chickenlady]

How high is your coop inside? Could one have flown into the heat lamp? That is a small coop for birds to be kept inside during bad weather. We have a big barn coop, but we bought a smaller 5x8x6 ft high for a smaller group. It just doesn’t stay as warm as the bigger coop, and they just did not have room to stay in for the last 10 days of snow and zero temps here. Having a covered run can help so they can get outside, but that gets really cold. There are heat lamp bulbs from Premier that are heavier, and do not break as easily. There are also flat panel radiant heaters available to warm a room. Many do not heat at all, using electric dog bowl waterers.

I would look for any openings where a predator could have gotten into, and fix if found. Then I would do some planning to make the coop larger, or weather proof your run.

When getting chickens, we don’ t consider that they may have to be confined for a few weeks in bad weather, so the bigger the better. They need room for water and food inside in winter.

Also purchase an electric dog water bowl, about 5 quarts in size. I use 2 so no one gets kept away from water, and those provide plenty for 25 chickens. They use little power, only coming on at 35 degrees to keep water from freezing.

I hope your hens heal okay.

Thank you so much, I would say its about 4 feet high inside, maybe a little more. The lamp was directed down towards their water bowl. They have knocked it off before so my husband zip tied the fixture in place so it wouldnt fall (and cause a fire) but its totally possible one could have flown into the lamp or broken it fighting over the warm spot underneath.
This is our first time having chickens, we got them as baby chicks last Feb but they were inside in the brooder till spring. This is their first winter (and ours!) not really knowing the best protocol for this weather. Its very unusual to have this severe cold here in RI. Its supposed to warm up starting today but yes, I think an expanded coop or covered run will be the project of the spring! Thanks again!

 

[RI BY Chickenlady]

So this is my girl with the injured eye. You can also see the frostbite on the tips of her crown. We cleaned the eye and pUT ointment on it tonight. I still can't tell if the eyeball is in there or not. She's not able to open it at all yet.

 

[RI BY Chickenlady]

The frostbite (we think) on her crown. Hopefully we don't have to snip those black bits off but I don't know. ..

 

[RI BY Chickenlady]

 

[staceyj]

The eye is likely still there but the swelling is too profuse to see it right now. Might be a few days.
Don't be afraid to work the eye wash and antibiotic "in there" though.

 

[RI BY Chickenlady]

 

[RI BY Chickenlady]

View attachment 1231013

This is my other girl with the ripped crown, right at the base. Cleaned and applied ointment to the cut. She seems in good spirits now.

 

[staceyj]

Frostbite: don't snip anything! Give it time to heal (may take a few weeks even) Cutting anything now will unleash a bloodbath.

 

[RI BY Chickenlady]

Frostbite: don't snip anything! Give it time to heal (may take a few weeks even) Cutting anything now will unleash a bloodbath.

Thanks, I am a big wimp with regards to that so I'm hoping time will heal her. I posted a few pics of inside the coop to, as someone asked the size and dimensions.