My roo was wet and cold

[kevinkeb4]

Hey, My roo is almost 2.His hen had babies and I kept 2,not knowing what at the time.It turned out to be 1 roo,and 1 hen.Oh they are Bantam Silkies by the way.Well today is cold and wet and when I went out to check on them this afternoon,the 2 year old was hovering on the side of the porch,soaked and cold.I brought him in and dried him off(last winter he was in with me and my cats all winter),now he just lays on the bed and sleeps.I keep checking to make sure hes alright,but he wont eat/drink,just sits and goes back to sleep.
Can anyone tell me,if I can try to give him tylenol/aspirin or anything to help him feel better,or should I just wait and see.He has been like this about 2 1/2 hours.I live in upstate NY.
Thanks Kevin

 

[nnbreeder]

See if he will drink some Gatorade or Pedialite that has been cut down 50/50 with water. Should perk him back up.

 

[kevinkeb4]

Thanks,I will try that,cause he has yet to eat/drink today.His poop is white and runny,so I believe that he is not getting nutrients and is dehydrating.I am going to use an eye dropper to get the pedialite into him,and hope he gets feeling up to par soon.I am going to keep him in with us all winter.
Thanks Again,I will report back on his progress.He was my first and I really love him.

 

[d.k]

* If he's still damp, try using a blow dryer on him-- Mine love it and it warms them up good, then try feeding him some hot mash. Warms them up and supplies fluids in one step. You can make it with the Pedialyte, too.

 

[kevinkeb4]

Hi guys, Thanks for the advice.I have been giving him pedialite since yesterday by eye dropper and he starting to get better.He actually tried to eat a little today and tried to drink.I am feeding him chick starter and pedialite to drink and it looks as though he will be alright.Hes still sleeping alot,but at least now he's standing and attempted to eat.
You guys are great,I love this site....

 

[d.k]

* Thanks for letting us know how he is, hope he's all better soon!

 

[mypicklebird]

It sounds like he is getting better, and I hope he continues to warm up and recover- but look into how he got that way in the first place. Silkies were bred to have mutation those fluffy hairy feathers- and they do not shed water well, they are more likely to get soaked, even in light rain. Make sure your silkies have a dry and sheltered & warm place to get in out of the rain and cold, consider locking them in there during the cold and wet days. If this was hypothermia, you are lucky to have found him in time to save him, and it may happen again unless you prevent it.
If you find a soaking wet chicken again, try toweling off, wrapping in a fresh from the dryer towel. You can also make a quick heating pod by taking a man's sock or a piece of ladies hose and filling it with uncooked rice, then microwave it. it will put out moist heat for 20-30min, wrap in a towel so it will not burn the chicken if directly touching it.

 

[kevinkeb4]

Thank you all for your concern.When I found him,I did wrap him a towel and changed them to keep him warm until he dried and warmed.They're my babies and I love them like my six cats,which by the way get on very well with him.He was an adolescent when I got him and my cats have been around him since,so they do well together,although he does get annoyed when the little ones wanna play.Since he was my first,I kept him indoors all last year and let him out of the cage everyday,so they all got used to each other.
He is doing very,very well now.He is eating and drinking on his own,but he still sleeps alot.I am afraid to put him back into the coop,with the other roo,especially since winter is about here and it is cold all the time.
The woman I got my hen from before she was eaten,which i'm still very sad about,keeps her silkies outdoors all year round,with plastic around the coops to protect them from wind/rain/snow.So I did the same thing with my coop.The other two are fairing well with the weather change,but I dont know if the other roo will kill him,if I put him back.
Again,I thank you all for helping me with my little dude.Oh his name is Eddie.

 

[rizq]

We had a BAD sudden rain storm here a couple months ago when our brahmas were about 2 months old (they were almost feathered out, but not quite completely), and the rain flooded part of their shelter. About 7 of our little chooks got wet and cold. Some where so cold they were stiff and not able to hold up their heads, they try but couldn't control their movement, it was horrible! I thought they were dead until I picked them up and they moved just a little. I rushed them in the house and stuck them under a heat lamp. I then took the worst ones first and ran warm water over them until they warmed up enough to start peeping then blow dried them. After one was completely dry, I stuck it in a small box with a hot water bottle until the next was finished, then placed them back under the heat lamp. They spent that night in the house to make sure they stayed good and warm. I managed to save them all this way, though I am still surprised that a couple of them not only survived, but had no ill effects. I am constantly surprised how tough the little things really can be.

We fixed the flaw in their shelter the next day, so no more water washing up through the cracks and flooding the poor babies! I never dreamed it would rain hard enough for the water to wash in from the bottom and try to drown my babies!