My poor hen Ruby somehow got herself wedged, and I mean wedged, in a tight space between the roost and the wall some time during the night on Friday. When I went out there Saturday to feed them a little snack about lunch time, I noticed that Ruby didn't come running out with rest of the chickens. I walked in the coop and found Ruby, stuck, upside down, with her feet up in the air, mouth open panting. It's already very hot here in Alabama. Her body is what was wedged between the roost and the 2x4 running along the inside wall of the coop. She had struggled so much that she was completely exhausted and the inside of both wings were bloody from trying to wiggle and flap herself free. I don't know how long she had been like that. I couldn't get her out the way she went in and I couldn't push her on through. I almost ripped the roost off of the wall to get her out.
I took her in the barn and first thing I did was get her some water. She drank and drank. Then she wanted to sleep. So I let her nap in my lap for a long time. She would wake up and want more water. I offered her food but she didn't want any. After about 45 mins, she started perking up a little and I offered her half of a really ripe pear and she tore it up! Good sign! So I'm thinking that she was just dehydrated and hungry, maybe a little bruised. So after about two hours of finding her hanging, I take her back out to the chicken yard and set her down...she falls over.
I hadn't put her down the whole time so I had no idea she couldn't stand or walk. She's a year old and one of my best layers, a red star. So I pick her up and fix her a cage in the barn. She's been in there for two days and she's not really improving. I really thought she would continue to come around and be all better.
I'm wondering if something happened to her while she was hanging upside down that I can't see. Here is what she's doing. She is walking some now but she walks like she's egg bound, like a penguin. But I don't think she's egg bound. She actually laid an egg yesterday afternoon. I was so happy to see that egg. But she does look like a penguin when she walks. Just standing, she is extremely pigeon toed now where she used to not be. It's like there's something wrong with her legs now. Her eyes are bright, her comb is bright red, her poops are normal, her appetite is good. She just can't walk good now. Her legs were not bound or restricted when she was stuck in the roost. Could it possibly be that all the blood flowed out of them for so long, it injured them? I don't know... Just trying to figure out why she can't walk good now. I try to get her out every few hours and let her walk around but I'm not sure if that's helping her or hurting her.
Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.
~shannon
I took her in the barn and first thing I did was get her some water. She drank and drank. Then she wanted to sleep. So I let her nap in my lap for a long time. She would wake up and want more water. I offered her food but she didn't want any. After about 45 mins, she started perking up a little and I offered her half of a really ripe pear and she tore it up! Good sign! So I'm thinking that she was just dehydrated and hungry, maybe a little bruised. So after about two hours of finding her hanging, I take her back out to the chicken yard and set her down...she falls over.
I hadn't put her down the whole time so I had no idea she couldn't stand or walk. She's a year old and one of my best layers, a red star. So I pick her up and fix her a cage in the barn. She's been in there for two days and she's not really improving. I really thought she would continue to come around and be all better. I'm wondering if something happened to her while she was hanging upside down that I can't see. Here is what she's doing. She is walking some now but she walks like she's egg bound, like a penguin. But I don't think she's egg bound. She actually laid an egg yesterday afternoon. I was so happy to see that egg. But she does look like a penguin when she walks. Just standing, she is extremely pigeon toed now where she used to not be. It's like there's something wrong with her legs now. Her eyes are bright, her comb is bright red, her poops are normal, her appetite is good. She just can't walk good now. Her legs were not bound or restricted when she was stuck in the roost. Could it possibly be that all the blood flowed out of them for so long, it injured them? I don't know... Just trying to figure out why she can't walk good now. I try to get her out every few hours and let her walk around but I'm not sure if that's helping her or hurting her.
Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.
~shannon
