Pullet swallowed a foot of paracord.

[KYates]

I had a young LF Cochin who did the same thing with some thick nylon cord I had used to hang the feeder with. My son Patrick found her with a long piece hanging out of her mouth. He tried to pull it out and it did not budge, even picking her up off the ground with it before my husband Mike stopped him. Mike ended up cutting the cord as close to her mouth as he could and she swollowed the rest of it. We tried olive oil, and we talked to a vet ( we couldn't find one that would agree to see her). The vet said if the cord had been natural materials she would probably be able to digest it or pass it, but if it was nylon it would cut up her intestines as it got tangled up. Well we thought for sure she was doomed, but that was 4 years ago, and guess what? We still have her, and we never saw any rope remains in the yard. I am sure she had 8 to 12 inches inside her. I don't know if she passed it, or if she is still carting it around inside her, but it has never seemed to bother her. You never know with chickens, don't count her out yet.

 

[Kiki]

I had a young LF Cochin who did the same thing with some thick nylon cord I had used to hang the feeder with. My son Patrick found her with a long piece hanging out of her mouth. He tried to pull it out and it did not budge, even picking her up off the ground with it before my husband Mike stopped him. Mike ended up cutting the cord as close to her mouth as he could and she swollowed the rest of it. We tried olive oil, and we talked to a vet ( we couldn't find one that would agree to see her). The vet said if the cord had been natural materials she would probably be able to digest it or pass it, but if it was nylon it would cut up her intestines as it got tangled up. Well we thought for sure she was doomed, but that was 4 years ago, and guess what? We still have her, and we never saw any rope remains in the yard. I am sure she had 8 to 12 inches inside her. I don't know if she passed it, or if she is still carting it around inside her, but it has never seemed to bother her. You never know with chickens, don't count her out yet.

Thank you for sharing this story!
WOOT!

 

[KYates]

Thank you for sharing this story!
WOOT!

I know what it is like to wait expecting bad things. We watched ours for days expecting signs of distress, and hoping for cord remains. I kind of think thicker cord might be less likely to cause a problem than the thinner stuff; you can cut stuff with fishing line a lot easier than with Paracord, and it tangles easier too. I just hope Smudge is as lucky as we were.

 

[Tesumph]

If paracord is the thick nylon cord I’m imagining, I don’t see how that will get past her crop, let alone her gizzard.. a chicken’s digestive system is much different than a cat’s.
Sorry to be a downer, I very much hope I’m wrong. Fingers crossed and keep us updated.

 

[smudge]

If paracord is the thick nylon cord I’m imagining, I don’t see how that will get past her crop, let alone her gizzard.. a chicken’s digestive system is much different than a cat’s.
Sorry to be a downer, I very much hope I’m wrong. Fingers crossed and keep us updated.

Well, it seems to have cleared the crop fine.

It seems to be towards the other end, but I have no idea how it could get out that tiny vent. If but some miracle an end snaked through, maybe, but not if folded. *shrug*

It's hard to tell if she's trying to get the traces of olive oil/mineral oil off her butt, or if she's feeling some gastro-discomfort.

I guess I should let her rest for the night - she wants to perch.

 

[Tesumph]

Well, it seems to have cleared the crop fine.

It seems to be towards the other end, but I have no idea how it could get out that tiny vent. If but some miracle an end snaked through, maybe, but not if folded. *shrug*

It's hard to tell if she's trying to get the traces of olive oil/mineral oil off her butt, or if she's feeling some gastro-discomfort.

I guess I should let her rest for the night - she wants to perch.

Well that’s good news! Hopefully it keeps moving.

 

[HazelandPearl]

Praying she passes it!

 

[smudge]

On the subject, someone had a 6 month old eat 6 inches and survive... but that's way older, and way less. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-8-week-chick-ate-a-cigg-butt.1105185/#post-17002682

 

[smudge]

Update: Well, she's still with us, chirping away.

Tricked her into ingesting a little more mineral oil by pouring it over a tsp of shredded cheese - she had to "go fish" through a layer of oil to get to the cheese at the bottom of the cup.

She then climbed up my arm and laid a ginormous wet poop, then went on my shoulder and contemplated poking me in the eye...

No signs of any cord coming out of her butt.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Well I’m glad she still seems to be feeling well. It may just take longer to pass. Time ticks by so slowly when you’re waiting for things like this