Injured hen won't drink

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC! Keep your injured birds in a warm (80-85 degrees), dark place and see if they bounce back. If they don't, you should think about tube feeding fluids with corn syrup.

Have you checked them for wounds?

-Kathy

 

[Masses]

Thank You. I have used the site for guidance since we got our hens last spring, but never had a problem. The one inside is missing massive amounts of feathers from her neck and back. She has a couple abrasions along the area, but no gaping wounds. The skin is pretty much intact. All of the other survivors I believe are ok, just in shock and not eating. I have put numerous NG tubes down humans, but never an animal! Would that traumatize them more? Or is it just worth it to avoid dehydration? I am a little worried about the others pecking her skin when she rejoins the group. How do you feel about a "saddle" or sweater to cover the area?

 

[casportpony]

Is she able to hold her head up?

-Kathy

 

[Masses]

Yes, she can hold her head up.

 

[casportpony]

Stress can kill them, so I normally leave the ones in shock alone for 24 hours before tubing sugar water. Can you post a picture of her?

-Kathy

 

[Masses]

I'm not sure if this worked or not.......first pic was yesterday, second is today. Not fantastic images

 

[Masses]

Geeze, those were huge! This is her hanging out in the kitchen, before I moved her to the basement, where it was warmer and darker.....less stimulation. She already appears more relaxed down there.

 

[Kathyb2]

The hen we had that was attacked by our dog made a full recovery. But it was a really slow recovery. It was two months before she was back to normal. We would put her in our lap and put water in a table spoon and put the spoon to her mouth and she would drink. She was not just in shock, she was also injured. I would give it a couple of days, sometimes it is just shock. We gave our hen poly-vi-sol vitamins for infants and water in the beginning.

 

[Masses]

Thank you, Kathy. I'm going to try to be more patient. My husband says the survivors have PTSD......which may be partially true! Lol Another one was noted today to have more injuries than I originally thought, so I guess we are a healing flock in progress! Thanks for the advice!

 

[ochochicas]

We had a rooster that fought off a coyote in November. He had bites to his leg and neck. We got him to eat and were tube feeding him water with antibiotics. However, infection set in and he was not able to recover. That may be what happened to the OP's hen. Carnivore mouths are very dirty and infection is just as likely to kill a chicken as the original wound itself. Sorry to hear she didn't make it.