BuckeyeAmy69
Songster
This hen is fighting for her life. She's one of those quiet, unassuming hens that never causes problems. So she just fits in and you don't notice her unless something is wrong. She was keeping to herself and not moving around much. I did some examining and to my horror discovered she was infested with lice and mites. That was earlier in the week. I treated her for the parasites and they are gone, but her skin is a hot mess. Dry, scaly and very dirty. She also has bumble foot in both feet. Very painful, which is why she wasn't moving much and had stopped dust bathing. I think that combination is what lead to her lice problem.
So to fix the skin issues, and to soften the feet, I soaked her in the garage sink in warm water and a big handful of Epsom salts. She relaxed in the warm water, seeming to understand I meant her no harm. She got very sleepy! In the photo I'm not holding her down; I'm holding her up! She got so relaxed her head kept dipping down, which is why her face is wet.
After her half hour bath, my son held her in an old bath towel like a football so that I could work on her feet. I removed all the dead tissue I could and then covered the fresh skin with a big dollop of triple antibiotic cream, a piece of 2 x 2 pad and wrapped the foot with hot pink vet wrap, being careful to let her toes poke through. So now she's sporting some hot pink sandals! The other hens will be so jealous! She's now resting comfortably on a thick bed of fresh pine shavings.
I decided to name her Molly Brown, after the "unsinkable" one of Titanic fame. She's a 4 year old BA. She has a quiet but tough spirit and I think she's on the mend. I can already tell she feels better after ridding her of the blood sucking parasites that were draining her. And before you ask, I did treat the entire flock and the coop. Once her feet are healed up I'm expecting her to bounce back and grow in some new feathers. I'm hoping she'll improve to the point that she will start laying again, not because I need the eggs, but because I want to see her succeed. I'll update as she progresses!
Amy
So to fix the skin issues, and to soften the feet, I soaked her in the garage sink in warm water and a big handful of Epsom salts. She relaxed in the warm water, seeming to understand I meant her no harm. She got very sleepy! In the photo I'm not holding her down; I'm holding her up! She got so relaxed her head kept dipping down, which is why her face is wet.
After her half hour bath, my son held her in an old bath towel like a football so that I could work on her feet. I removed all the dead tissue I could and then covered the fresh skin with a big dollop of triple antibiotic cream, a piece of 2 x 2 pad and wrapped the foot with hot pink vet wrap, being careful to let her toes poke through. So now she's sporting some hot pink sandals! The other hens will be so jealous! She's now resting comfortably on a thick bed of fresh pine shavings.
I decided to name her Molly Brown, after the "unsinkable" one of Titanic fame. She's a 4 year old BA. She has a quiet but tough spirit and I think she's on the mend. I can already tell she feels better after ridding her of the blood sucking parasites that were draining her. And before you ask, I did treat the entire flock and the coop. Once her feet are healed up I'm expecting her to bounce back and grow in some new feathers. I'm hoping she'll improve to the point that she will start laying again, not because I need the eggs, but because I want to see her succeed. I'll update as she progresses!
Amy
She's well loved! Good luck to you and Molly Brown! I look forward to reading about her progress.
