Please help dog pen fell on my 10 week old chick

[Mbart83]

oh my please help

I have a metal exercise pen I had around my 5 baby chickens- 10 weeks old. I had another on the top so the bigger pullets can’t get in....I went inside and took a shower and back out and the pen was collapsed. 4 of the 10 week old chicks were on top of the fence that fell over, but one was half under it- her head and chest and midway down her side were out chest down, but back half was under it. 4 of her flock on top of it I assume protecting her. She wasn’t moving, but breathing- I tried putting her down but she wouldn’t move to stand. I put her in my lap with a blanket and got some water in her and now I have her resting with my inside with heat light on blankets.

When I was examining her, she pulled her legs in- stood on my hand while I supported her weight under her chest. She moved her wings a bit- I am a new chicken owner and have never experienced any injuries like this. 20 mins ago I would say she is going to die, she wasn’t moving, only a slight shivers - but now she is alert and moving her head and breathing better like more normal paced and looks like she is trying to rest. She is 10 weeks old English Orpington- please help! No vet available for weekend....is she in shock? Is she broken? What do I look for? Anything!

 

[Mbart83]

Here is her photo- her head was only out straight- she is laying on her side

 

[Mbart83]

She is drinking on her own when I hold water up to her and she ate too! I think something is injured on hind end but not sure

 

[Hufflefluff]

You said the pen fell on the back half of her? How heavy was the pen? I'm trying to figure out how crushed she was. Bringing her inside was a good idea- is there any blood at all? Also probe for broken bones, especially the legs and hips- anything that could be making it uncomfortable for her to stand/ move. Applying slight pressure with your fingertips as you run you hands over the parts that were underneath the pen should help you figure it out- if anything is protruding, swelling, or causing her excessive discomfort then you'll have a rough idea of what the biggest problem is. It's also possible, however, that she is just in shock and some mild discomfort, in which case letting her rest and recuperate for a little while inside until she's up and about might be all she needs.

Without knowing more, I'd just keep her isolated inside for a while- if you have any sort of cardboard box or dog crate big enough for her then you can line it with towels and keep her somewhere where you can see her, and watch for any changes. You should make sure that she also has access to water without getting up, and maybe later see about making her some scrambled egg (easy to digest, high protein, they generally like it.) If she does have any broken bones or serious damage, then you'll need to look further into fixing the specific problem, at least until you can get her to vet. Sorry I can't e of more help.

I hope everything goes well, and please keep us updated with any changes.

Edited to add: I saw that you said she was eating and drinking, which is good. I'm glad to hear she's starting to feel a little better

 

[Sassysouth]

Keep her warm and keep her separated is a portable dog kennel or something so she can rest and heal.

 

[sumi]

Goodness, I hope she's o.k. Fwiw, they are incredibly tough little things! A few years ago my son who was about 7 or 8 at the time stepped off a chair and landed on a young chicken who was snooping around at the time. If memory serves the chicken was not much older than yours. It was alive, but not looking good. It had blood coming from its eyes and beak. I made it as comfortable as I could and waited… Had to leave for work after about an hour and the little one was still with us. Back home that evening it was perfectly fine! Fingers crossed yours will be too

 

[Mbart83]

It is one of the Midwest 24 inch 8 panel metal- I think maybe 2-3 panels fell then the other 4 English Orpington 10 week olds stood on top of it.

 

[Mbart83]

Keep her warm and keep her separated is a portable dog kennel or something so she can rest and heal.

How long can she be away from the others? They were all hatched together...also how warm should I keep her? Before yesterday they were on 3 season porch, low of 30/35

 

[Mbart83]

Goodness, I hope she's o.k. Fwiw, they are incredibly tough little things! A few years ago my son who was about 7 or 8 at the time stepped off a chair and landed on a young chicken who was snooping around at the time. If memory serves the chicken was not much older than yours. It was alive, but not looking good. It had blood coming from its eyes and beak. I made it as comfortable as I could and waited… Had to leave for work after about an hour and the little one was still with us. Back home that evening it was perfectly fine! Fingers crossed yours will be too

Thanks! No blood thank goodness!

 

[Mbart83]

Also should I let her rest more before messing with her to checking her legs?