Introducing a new, injured guinea to my flock

[btrbeana]

Hi, I have a small flock of Guineas and they are brooding over 2 nests. (1 male and 2 females) they are all 5 months old. We had 3 females, but….about 6 weeks ago, one of our girls got scared off and we couldnt find her. She showed up at a neighbors today! Wow! She has some injury to her neck and breast and is missing neck feathers. She is super thin. Her head looks great, her color is great and her eyes are clear. Problem is, I dont know if I can put her back with the others now…. I also dont know what to do about her injuries. they are mostly healed, just looking rough. I am getting some A/B from the vet tomorrow. Sorry no pic.. we had to wait till dark to go get her and I really dont want to bother her any more. Ill get some in the morning if anyone needs them. Thank you for ANY help you can provide.
PS I dont any way to actually isolate her unless I separate one of my females that just laid an egg in a a new nest in the coop today… Although, thats exactly what I have done for the night. I dont know what to do tomorrow.

 

[PeepsCA]

Your flock may not accept her back without an integration period first. They will most likely see her as a new, strange bird and a threat to the flock. Guineas don't always accept new birds very willingly, or very quickly. If you just add her back they may start picking on her and making her wounds worse, immediately.

Can you keep her in a wire crate or cage WITH the flock, but separated by the cage/crate to keep her protected for a couple weeks or until you can see that the other birds are not picking on her or acting aggressive towards her thru the cage? Once you let her out, make sure she has places to hide behind but not get trapped behind to avoid getting picked on, and roosts to fly up to where she can get away from the other birds if she needs to. You may get lucky and they accept her back right away (that has never been my experience tho), but I'd definitely keep an eye on those healing wounds/scars/bare areas.

I recommend using Blu-Kote on her healing wounds. It's a very effective livestock antiseptic and it stains everything dark purple (including your hands, so wear gloves and old clothes). It hides the blood and scabs from the other birds. You can get it at most feed/farm stores that sell livestock topical wound medications. Guineas tend to pick at/cannibalize wounds on themselves and on other birds, so the dark purple does a good job of deterring that. NuStock, another topical livestock med works really well to help feathers grow back quickly (plus the pine tar and sulphur in it tastes nasty to the other birds), but I'd be sure to have any exposed skin/scars well coated with Blu-Kote when you finally let the Hen back out with the other birds.

 

[btrbeana]

Thank you so much! I just went to check on her. She is warm inside the coop and the rest are in their usual roost in the run. She hasnt eaten or drank yet. When they heard her cooing, a ruckus fired up. She is in the coop where the nest is "hidden". I have the door closed so they are separate. I was thinking when I let the others out in the morning, I could open the run to her. Then implement your plan. I'll get the medicine 1st thing!

 

[PeepsCA]

She's a lucky girl to have escaped whatever predator's grasp that had a hold of her!
Glad you got her back and all is peaceful.

 

[btrbeana]

Thank you...so far so good. She is crated out in the run with medicated water and good food. The others showed some interest and pecked at her cage straw for about 5 mins. Then checked their eggs and left again to go forage. Headed with pics to go get blue kote and drop off the kitty so he can become a member of the seedless grapes club! Ha!

 

[PeepsCA]

LOL @ member of the seedless grapes club

 

[btrbeana]

Hi there. Here is an update. She is eating and drinking a tiny bit, and one of the two huge scabs neer her keel on the crop area, fell off when I applied the icky stuff this morning. The bad news; she somehow has the bump on her head bleeding, she is still breathing hard and worse, i am pretty sure she cannot fly. I checked her wings, and her flight feathers haven't been cut and nohing looks brokent... but she has never left the floor of the coop and when i placed her on the roost, she made no attempt to move. i can't see allowing her into my flock because she can't get away if they get rough. I can't see letting her free roam, for the same reason. Maybe she needs more time, but I feel like she may be suffering and..... well, you know. Any thoughts?
So Sad.... :-(

 

[btrbeana]

Are there any tell tell signs the Guinea is suffering? I do see panting (but its hot and she IS stressed) She is breathing so hard her bottom is bobbing up and down with each breath.

 

[PeepsCA]

If she is not eating or drinking at all and is lethargic and fluffed up, then she's most likely suffering. She may just be really sore, so that's why she's not getting up or trying to fly. You can give her 1/2 of a baby aspirin (or the equivalent dosage in drop form) every 4-6 hrs for pain if you think she's hurting that bad.

Panting is normal when it's hot (every single bird I own has been panting all day long from the heat), but it could also mean she's fighting infection and running a fever. Can ya put a fan out there to blow on her and move the air around and see if that helps? Also a chilled slice of melon or cucumber for her to peck at may help cool her. Chilled meal worms would be a nice treat too, and a protein boost at the same time.

You can take her temp... tho it won't be fun for either of you.

 

[btrbeana]

Hi, thanks.she is doing better. Probably the heat, but all the hens are justlying ariund andno one left the coop, even when i left it open. I just raided the nests in favor of the incubator and now they look like they aree setting...i guess. They can see each other through the wire from isolation to the run... the heat is bad, but ice water helps. Here are some pics. My husband built it from an old wood shed. Chickens on one side, guineas on the other. Semi isolation in the middle.