lost hen found 4 days later - lethargic and wounded- help?

[spish]

one of my new araucana hens went missing the night after i got her (5 days ago)
i found her today, wedged in the hawthorn hedge, she couldnt move as the thorns had her well and truly pinned in (how she got in there so deep i'll never know, something must have been chasing her/scared her?)

anyhow shes possibly been in that hedge for 6 days, its been minus 10 degrees here, ice/snow, sleet, hail all have fallen in the past week.

shes lethargic and thin, and full of thorns. ive pulled out as many as i could get but theres some that had been broken off in her and i cant get them out. (some of the thorns on this hedge are at least an inch long) i think sheshad/has one in her eye, she won't open it and it looks sore (swollen/red but not pierced if that makes sense, as if shes had her eyeball scratched)

ive offered food and water but shes not intrested. ive brought her inside nice and warm in the hope she will feel better when shes warmed up.

so a few questions

1) what do i do about the thorn tips stuck in her feet/legs/skin? how can i get them out? (tried tweezers etc but they are deep in and think painful!)
2) what can i give her to perk her up/get some strength back/induce appetite
3)should i force open her eye lids to get a better look or just try flushing it with water and wait for the swelling to go down
4) any other suggestions on what to give a chicken thats had little or no food/water for days??

 

[peepsnbunnies]

So sorry about your girl! First thing I would do is mix up some Poultry Vitamin/Electrolyte water and giving it to her a few drops at a time. You can also mix chicken crumbles with the vitamin/electrolyte water to make a 'soup' and give that to her with a dropper. I would get as much into her as possible every couple of hours and hopefully she may start to perk up and feel better. Is there a vet nearby that you could take her to, if she is severely dehydrated, she may need IV fluids.

Bless her heart, I hope she does better.

 

[chickens egg me on]

Hi Spish. So sorry to hear about your bird. I use colloidal silver (cs), internaly and externally. In an emergency like this, you can find it at a vitamin store and later on, if you find it works for your bird, you make it yourself at home. It's expensive to buy...around $20.00 for a large bottle of ionized cs but it works wonders IMHO. The thorns...ouch. Yeah, a big problem since the tweezers ares being effective. If I had a bird in the situation you are talking about I would give cs in a dropper along with protein...maybe yogurt and ground flax seeds that have been cooked/toasted...feed until the crop feels full. I would get her in the dog carrier I keep in case of emergency and maybe put a heating pad under her...with a towel over it, nd give gaterade for hydration. If you've never fed a bird before, just hold the beek open slightly and put a few drops in to see how she handles the swallowing. If she can't swallow, I doubt she'll make it. The thorns may work themselves out over time. Getting food and hydration into her quickly is a great idea. Best of luck to you both.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Spish you might also try to soak her in some warm epsom salt water. But I'd say the main thing is to get her hydrated. Bless her heart and to still be alive, To me thats amazing. If you don't have electrolytes you can try a little warm water with a little sugar dissolved in it, or gator aide. Keep us up to date on her progress.

 

[chickens egg me on]

Great ideas, Miss Lydia.

 

[Miss Lydia]

chickens egg me on, I use colloidal silver all the time, it's great to have. I use it for antibiotics and for any kind of wound just about anything actually. Have tried to make my own though.

 

[chickens egg me on]

Hi Miss Lydia. It's easy to make. It is a great supplement, too. But your idea about the Epsom salt bath in this situation is brilliant.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I thought you had to have somekind of special thingy to make it. Sorry Spish don't mean to hijack your post. Would be good information for anyone needing help though.

 

[chickens egg me on]

Miss Lydia, this is how I make my cs--

1 quart distilled water, four 9 volt batteries chained together, 2 wire clips (can be found at Radio Shack) that I hook onto two .9999% silver rods (mine are 14 gauge and bought on Ebay) with the other ends clipped to the batteries. I put hang the silver over the side of an old Kerr quart jar--don't let the rods touch or it will result in shorting the batteries out. Wait about 3 hours and you'll have your cs. Put the cs in a dark place and it should last at least 2 years...if you don't use it. If my instructions aren't clear, then go to youtube and run 'how to make colloidal silver.' Some of the videos on there are pretty good. Just make sure that you use silver--never sterling, and always distilled water.

Best to you,
eggs

 

[chickens egg me on]

Spish, how is your hen?