Hello,
I hope someone out there has experience in this area.
This is about a young hen rescued from neglect by some very irresponsible individuals. Three days ago I removed to safety a chicken from weeks of neglect, starvation, and lack of shelter in snow, rain, and sub-freezing weather. She's probably about 8 months old, a Brahma, but when I carried her out she weighed about half a pound.
After getting myself under emotional control, I took her away and brought her to a shed, put her in a small dog crate with pine flake bedding, gave her water and some food. Once I got her on her feet again (she was too weak to stand) she began pecking at the food and drinking the water. After an hour I exchanged the plain water with water containing a tsp of sea salt and a Tbsp of honey per quart and gave her that. I also gave her more food. In 1.5 hours I removed that water and gave her water with Probiotic. She continued to eat and drink. And then she clucked!
Before going to bed I checked and found profoundly smelly black poops and a general sense of stink. I cleaned the droppings out and put fresh bedding down. As she had been outside in 30 degree temps in 20-30 MPH winds and snow, I thought too much heat might overwhelm her system. Instead, I put heavy blankets around the sides and back of the crate to allow her body heat to accumulate. She stayed in her crate in the shed overnight.
The next morning I found she'd eaten over a cup of food and drunk as much or more water. Her eyes were bright and she was standing and eating. And clucking. I refreshed water and food, offered grit, and cleaned out bedding, adding fresh pine shavings. I also turned on a brooder lamp to take the edge off the frost-breath temperatures in the shed. She had to energy try and take a peek out of the crate door!
Today she made a large number of nice big green and white solid poops! She was still eating. She also seemed to begin preening herself underneath.
Tonight the smelly black poops were back, along with healthy ones. She continues to eat and drink and stand on her own, looking out at me.
My concern, among many at this point, is her feet/legs. She favors her right leg/foot sometimes, holding it up into her feathers. I have not cleaned her in any way, and see small red stripes in places and black spots/streaks on her legs and feet. The latter could be mud, feces from the old pen she was in, or frostbite to her foot. The question is, do I continue to let her get her strength back before I examine her?
As well, I welcome any advice as to how to treat this game ole girl. She deserves a chance.
Thank you.
I hope someone out there has experience in this area.
This is about a young hen rescued from neglect by some very irresponsible individuals. Three days ago I removed to safety a chicken from weeks of neglect, starvation, and lack of shelter in snow, rain, and sub-freezing weather. She's probably about 8 months old, a Brahma, but when I carried her out she weighed about half a pound.
After getting myself under emotional control, I took her away and brought her to a shed, put her in a small dog crate with pine flake bedding, gave her water and some food. Once I got her on her feet again (she was too weak to stand) she began pecking at the food and drinking the water. After an hour I exchanged the plain water with water containing a tsp of sea salt and a Tbsp of honey per quart and gave her that. I also gave her more food. In 1.5 hours I removed that water and gave her water with Probiotic. She continued to eat and drink. And then she clucked!
Before going to bed I checked and found profoundly smelly black poops and a general sense of stink. I cleaned the droppings out and put fresh bedding down. As she had been outside in 30 degree temps in 20-30 MPH winds and snow, I thought too much heat might overwhelm her system. Instead, I put heavy blankets around the sides and back of the crate to allow her body heat to accumulate. She stayed in her crate in the shed overnight.
The next morning I found she'd eaten over a cup of food and drunk as much or more water. Her eyes were bright and she was standing and eating. And clucking. I refreshed water and food, offered grit, and cleaned out bedding, adding fresh pine shavings. I also turned on a brooder lamp to take the edge off the frost-breath temperatures in the shed. She had to energy try and take a peek out of the crate door!
Today she made a large number of nice big green and white solid poops! She was still eating. She also seemed to begin preening herself underneath.
Tonight the smelly black poops were back, along with healthy ones. She continues to eat and drink and stand on her own, looking out at me.
My concern, among many at this point, is her feet/legs. She favors her right leg/foot sometimes, holding it up into her feathers. I have not cleaned her in any way, and see small red stripes in places and black spots/streaks on her legs and feet. The latter could be mud, feces from the old pen she was in, or frostbite to her foot. The question is, do I continue to let her get her strength back before I examine her?
As well, I welcome any advice as to how to treat this game ole girl. She deserves a chance.
Thank you.