I rescued 2 chickens today - Help me treat plz - GOOD NEWS UPDATE

[fldiver97]

Thanks for the update....and the upkeep on the chicks. Glad to hear your banties are OK!!! So it sounds like you are on the right track. The newer photos of the feet (with circles around the toes in question) were good and showed that it does not really look black and completely necrotic as I feared. How wonderful that you got expert advise by e-mail and so quickly too. But you presented your problem well and the pictures are great. I would follow that advise and hold off on the antibiotic as you mentioned unless it begins to look worse as far as infection goes. With lots of TLC, clean surroundings and foot soaks as well as good food andsome supplements these birds will hopefully turn the corner before long.

 

[technodoll]

Wow just read through this thread and I gotta say, HATS OFF to you and your wife for taking in these poor birds and lavishing them with more care and TLC than they could ever have received elsewhere!

How can they not recover and be the best pets you've ever had

Takes time and patience but hey, is there any other way?

Please post more updates, we're rooting for you over here!

 

[poultrypatch]

OH MY GOD !!!! Not only do you rescue chicks but also help DW make dinner !! ! Surely, you're not real ! You can't be. Heh heh
So glad you found your Banties and they're safe...even if the roo is slightly plucked.
Glad you were doing the right stuff for chicks. So good to know..and especially that it wasn't gangrene.
NOW !! Remember....when these chicks are better we're ALL expecting an egg for our help ! )
Seriously, glad they're so much better. More cudos to that wonderful woman you call DW !
Liz
Rochester, MA

 

[possumqueen]

You and the DW deserve each other!

Want pics of when they're healthy.

ps: I've seen lots of rescued critters, and I can tell you that they NEVER forget! You're in for a fun time with these guys!

 

[Eggcellent]

I didn't get a chance to take pictures this morning before work, but they looked pretty good when I checked in on them. The roo was crowing again and they were roosting on top of the box for the first time.

On a not-so-positive note.. I think one of my EEers has either botulism or mareks... I had her caged seperately because she was getting picked on. I think now that the reason she was getting picked on was because she was not feeling well. She pretty much lays down all the time. She can stand but stumbles forward when she walks. She can grip and roost on my finger and is able to keep balance so I don't know what the deal is. I will probably be starting a new thread on her.

 

[Eggcellent]

My DW and I worked on the daily chicken treatment tonight and the roos feet looked amazing! Almost like normal chicken feet.

Scrubbing and washing the blackened areas didn't seem to help, but I managed to scrape the black stuff off with my thumbnail.

I think it was impacted rabbit feces based on the consistency and material contained within it. It may have been really old blood too. I did take some photos and I will update them in a bit.

The hen's feet do look better but I think she will have some permanent disfiguration. The scales are falling off and it looks like pretty good scales/skin underneath. A few of her toes are just bent near the nail. She also has the swollen, scabbed up toe. I think it may not be so much swollen as a huge coagulated scab. I don't want to try to pick at it or scrub at it while it's still healing. I forgot to check the hen's belly scab but I will check it tomorrow.

I will say that these two are acting more like I would expect them to with as little human contact as they were given. Now that they aren't in so much pain they are flighty, but still pretty submissive when being handled. I think they do like the neosporin treatments though. The hen especially will calm right down once you are rubbing it in.

My other girl who has become ill is still about the same... I was really worried it was mareks, but I think botulism is more likely now that her poo has taken on the characteristic awful smell. We are going to give her a molasses flush followed by electrolytes.

 

[fldiver97]

Sounds like you are running a little chicken infirmary.....Hope all will improve quickly!!! Sounds like the roo is getting better quick. Hope the little girl and your EE are going to follow his lead!!

 

[Eggcellent]

Ok here are the photos as promised. Except for the last one, these are all before the treatment tonight. Their feet actually look a little better now.

Here was the photo before we started treatment. Notice how they are up on the box together and much redder their combs are!

Here is a shot of them walking around outside the cage together. I haven't cleaned the black stuff off the roos feet yet.

Close up of the roos feet pre-treatment (black stuff still not removed)

Close up of the hens feet pre-treatment

Close up of roos toes after chipping off that nasty black stuff. It was basically encased around his toe nails.

Sorry I couldn't better photos tonight... The camera didnt wanna focus right for some reason.

 

[Eggcellent]

Quote:
Starting to feel like it... And we had to put a rescue kitten down today that was paralyzed with a birth defect

Hopefully no more dead animals anytime soon.

 

[tulie13]

They look so adorable! You have done a fantastic job!

Another option to remember for treating foot infections that are this complicated, Betadine solution or Povidone-Iodine. You can soak in a warm, dilute solution of that like with the Epsom Salts, in fact they go OK together, so you could do both at the same time.

I didn't think of it earlier but thought I'd mention it now for the benefit of anyone reading this thread. My sister uses it on her feet - she gets ingrown toenails and they have to cut out a part, and by the time they do that there is usually an infection (which is why she goes in the first place to get it taken care of!). After they cut it out, they tell her to soak her feet twice a day in Betadine solution. It can stain, so you do need to make sure the feet go onto a dry towel or something until they are fully dried (human feet or chicken feet!).

By the way, if you have Athlete's foot, this can help, too.