Moving from warm to cold?

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chickenlady12

chickenlady12

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Hi. I've been reading Backyard Chickens tirelessly for weeks! Earlier this week we had a lethargic chicken -- took her inside, nursed her, no improvement. After many hours of research, I discovered she must have an impacted crop. It was too big to massage out, so, based on advice I read here and elsewhere, my neighbor (who works in an OR) and I surgically removed the blockage. The chicken is now doing better, though still a bit thin and weak. She has been away from the flock for a week, and I want to get her back before she is rejected. She went out for a visit with them yesterday and the hens seemed OK with her, but the rooster tried to peck her (he is on his way to a farm tomorrow anyway). I think I am read up enough on how to re-introduce a chicken, but what about moving from warm to cold? She has been in our basement (about 60 degrees) vs. the outside (about 40 degrees). She will go back out for a visit today, but once the rooster is gone, if the hens are OK with her, can I just pop her back outside? I'd hate to see anything happen to her after all the effort we put in. Thanks!
 
Welcome!!

That's not a big temp swing. I think if she's outside during the day she'll be fine when she's out 24/7.

Natural temp swings here are enormous. One day it will be 70, the next it will be 20. They don't like it but they're ok.
Healthy chickens are tough and quite hot blooded.
Since she's thin you may want to help her with some higher protein food and some high energy food when you put her out. Wheat and/or corn in late afternoon will help.

By the way, excellent work on the surgery.
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Congratulations on the successful surgery, glad your hen is doing better. Can you let her out with the flock during the day, so she shouldn't be a problem to reintegrate with them, but bring her in at night? Giving her a few more days to recuperate and eat on her own etc? As long as she has recovered, that temperature difference shouldn't be a problem, especially if she has been outside during the day.
 
Thanks everyone. I put her out about an hour ago and things went pretty well. No real confrontations with other chickens. She still sort of staggers and falls when trying to walk and keeps withdrawing her head and dozing off. What worried me was that maybe she was eating too much too soon? I threw out a handful of grain for them all to peck at, and she ate quite a bit. I was afraid she would gorge herself, so I snatched her out and put her back in the basement for now. Her crop seems full and squishy now; I guess I'm just a worry wart. When we emptied it, there was grass and hay, but it was mostly just chicken feed. Could she possibly have some sort of problem digesting food? Has anyone heard of chronic infected crop? Could it be a genetic abnormality?
 
If she is still that unsteady on her feet, I would try and keep her in longer to recover more. Most of the posts on BYC recommend feeding soft food for a week or ten days or so after crop surgery, then gradually starting the hard stuff like grain, do be sure she has access to grit if she is getting grain etc. She is an older/adult chicken isn't she? There are various reasons for static or impacted crops besides congenital problems.. was she acting/walking balance wise normally before the surgery? http://www.petplace.com/birds/crop-stasis/page2.aspx is a pet bird site but lists various other causes besides straight obstructions... I would wonder about dehydration with the cold weather and the food stuck if she is a hen that doesn't like cold water?
 

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