- Sep 8, 2013
- 1
- 0
- 7
Hi everyone. I am new to this forum. I have been raising my most recent chickens and Guinea for over a year. I grew up with chickens so have some experience in maintaining them. I have a story that may be of interest to some of you. Sorry for the length.
What I want to share is something that happened yesterday. I have a small garden pond made out of a livestock tub sunk in the ground. Lots of waterlily leaves and stems cover the surface but almost 50% water surface shows. I got home from work early evening and went outside to enjoy a snack and drink. I looked down at the pond to see my only Light Brahma floating in the pond upright with her head twitching but out of the water. I dropped everything and ran to get her. I found a bunch of towels and proceeded to wrap her up and dry her.
Her skin was quite cold. Her comb was very cold. I have no idea how she got in there but guessed she was in quite a while. She probably struggled the whole time until she drained herself. Her eyes would not open and all she did was twitch her whole body. I figured she was done but felt I needed to at least try to revive her. I dried her with the towels as much as they would absorb. Her skin was so cold. I kept rubbing her comb, legs and body to try to get circulation moving. Still she did not open her eyes and continued to twitch. The whole time I just kept thinking I should probably just end it now so she doesn't suffer any more.
I couldn't keep myself from wanting to at least give her a fighting chance to survive. I took her inside my home and proceeded to use my blow dryer on low to help warm and dry her some more. My boyfriend got home and grabbed more towels and put them in the dryer to warm them. We then wrapped her in warm towels and kept adding a fresh warm towel as they cooled. Her eyes opened just a couple times. At that point, I didn't know what else to do until her body warmed up. We put a blanket and towels in the laundry tub and placed her in there all wrapped up while we tended to dinner. She just twitched and didn't move.
After dinner, I decided to try to get some sugar water into her. I had to pull her beak open to use a syringe to squirt some in several times. She actually swallowed. That was a good sign. She opened her eyes briefly so I put her back in the tub with more warm towels. I kept checking on her and she slowly stopped twitching. Just before my bedtime, she opened her eyes and took note of me. I even got a few low clucks from her. I gave her sugar water a few more times and she seemed to be coming around. I had a bit of sunflower seed stored in my laundry room so I put some seeds in front of her. She always loved sunflower seeds and would hoard them if given the chance.
Lo and behold, she ate some. I gave a few more and she was eating. She continued with the low clucks. I gave some more water and she was becoming more alert but appeared worn out and lethargic. Since it was late and dark out I just covered her in a warm towel and let her be for the night. I figured that in the morning, she would either be dead or I'd have a chicken running around my house.
I got up early to check on her. There she stood, upright in the laundry tub. She seemed confused and was looking around like she didn't know where she was or what was going on. I gave some more sunflower seed and she devoured them. It had warmed up outside so I carried her out. She immediately went to the water supply and just walked around the dish drinking constantly. I put a small pile of feed by her and she ate like there was no tomorrow. I then proceeded to open the chicken pen for the other 30 something chickens, pullets and 5 Guinea to come out for the day.
The Brahma moved slow but eventually got back into her routine for the day. Last I looked she was back in the chicken pen with her nose in the feeder.
I still have no idea how she got into that pond. It has been there her whole life and she has drank out of it many times. I'm thinking that it was good she is such a big bird. A smaller one like my Rhode Island Red or Ameraucauna may not have been able to stay upright with their heads out of the water. The Brahma's feet probably just touched the bottom of the pond.
I hope this story may help someone else if you ever find yourself in a similar predicament.
What I want to share is something that happened yesterday. I have a small garden pond made out of a livestock tub sunk in the ground. Lots of waterlily leaves and stems cover the surface but almost 50% water surface shows. I got home from work early evening and went outside to enjoy a snack and drink. I looked down at the pond to see my only Light Brahma floating in the pond upright with her head twitching but out of the water. I dropped everything and ran to get her. I found a bunch of towels and proceeded to wrap her up and dry her.
Her skin was quite cold. Her comb was very cold. I have no idea how she got in there but guessed she was in quite a while. She probably struggled the whole time until she drained herself. Her eyes would not open and all she did was twitch her whole body. I figured she was done but felt I needed to at least try to revive her. I dried her with the towels as much as they would absorb. Her skin was so cold. I kept rubbing her comb, legs and body to try to get circulation moving. Still she did not open her eyes and continued to twitch. The whole time I just kept thinking I should probably just end it now so she doesn't suffer any more.
I couldn't keep myself from wanting to at least give her a fighting chance to survive. I took her inside my home and proceeded to use my blow dryer on low to help warm and dry her some more. My boyfriend got home and grabbed more towels and put them in the dryer to warm them. We then wrapped her in warm towels and kept adding a fresh warm towel as they cooled. Her eyes opened just a couple times. At that point, I didn't know what else to do until her body warmed up. We put a blanket and towels in the laundry tub and placed her in there all wrapped up while we tended to dinner. She just twitched and didn't move.
After dinner, I decided to try to get some sugar water into her. I had to pull her beak open to use a syringe to squirt some in several times. She actually swallowed. That was a good sign. She opened her eyes briefly so I put her back in the tub with more warm towels. I kept checking on her and she slowly stopped twitching. Just before my bedtime, she opened her eyes and took note of me. I even got a few low clucks from her. I gave her sugar water a few more times and she seemed to be coming around. I had a bit of sunflower seed stored in my laundry room so I put some seeds in front of her. She always loved sunflower seeds and would hoard them if given the chance.
Lo and behold, she ate some. I gave a few more and she was eating. She continued with the low clucks. I gave some more water and she was becoming more alert but appeared worn out and lethargic. Since it was late and dark out I just covered her in a warm towel and let her be for the night. I figured that in the morning, she would either be dead or I'd have a chicken running around my house.
I got up early to check on her. There she stood, upright in the laundry tub. She seemed confused and was looking around like she didn't know where she was or what was going on. I gave some more sunflower seed and she devoured them. It had warmed up outside so I carried her out. She immediately went to the water supply and just walked around the dish drinking constantly. I put a small pile of feed by her and she ate like there was no tomorrow. I then proceeded to open the chicken pen for the other 30 something chickens, pullets and 5 Guinea to come out for the day.
The Brahma moved slow but eventually got back into her routine for the day. Last I looked she was back in the chicken pen with her nose in the feeder.
I still have no idea how she got into that pond. It has been there her whole life and she has drank out of it many times. I'm thinking that it was good she is such a big bird. A smaller one like my Rhode Island Red or Ameraucauna may not have been able to stay upright with their heads out of the water. The Brahma's feet probably just touched the bottom of the pond.
I hope this story may help someone else if you ever find yourself in a similar predicament.
