Hello, all! I'm Tarah and live in Oregon. My dad has raised chickens for the last 12 years for eggs. His birds now eat better and more regimented than most of us do. He calls his hens "the girls" and they all come by name. Oirnneighbors also love our chickens and bring them o, and if they went at her again, they'd kill her. I slipped my way across the chicken pen and she was caked in mud, wings splayed out and one eye open because the other was muddy. She was bleeding from several wounds on the back of her mostly bald head. I wrapped her in a towel and took her in the house. I have NEVER paid attention to the chickens unless my folks need help with them. Theyrw funny little creatures! Anyway, the chicken was shaking harder than any animal I've ever held before and I felt terribly for her. She was obviously in shock. I turned the kitchen water on as hot as I could comfortably tolerate it, and then I just put her in the sink in the towel she was wrapped in and let it run into the towel. She just closed her little eyes and seemed to enjoy it. At no time did she get excited or panic or peck at me. That's how I knew she was in rough shape. After I got her all cleaned off, I assessed for injuries. She has a couple raw and bald spots on her wings shweet she was pecked, she has a spot near where her neck and back meet that has a pretty sizable open sore, maybe the size of an eraser. And then a spot on the crown of her head about the same size. They bled quite a while and so I used quick-clot powder on her and it worked marvelously. I wrapped her in a clean towel and just held her a while until she stopped shaking and seemed at ease. It was evident when I was rinsing her, she could not stand up. I kind a figured that had I been her in that fight, I wouldn't be up on my feet, either. I talked to the neighbor gal again to try to piece a timeline of events together, and she said last week she noticed the 5 roosters really ganging up and beating on this little hen. She'd come out for tomatoes and zucchini and they'd attack her. So, she hid in the coop. Neighbor said the day before, she noticed any time she'd try to come out, they'd rush at her and she would go back.Neighbor said when she texted me Tuesday, she hadn't see. The hen since the previous Sunday morning and said even then, they were attacking her. That day, Tuesday, the hen was already down when they attacked her and Danette and myself both assumed she wouldn't make it, but I had to try. So, Tuesday night, she drank about 20 CC out of a syringe and would only eat rolled oats and corn in molasses. SO FUNNY. I tossed some crumble, corn scratch and grubs in there too, and she ate heartily. She drank quite a bit once she realized what her water was in, and I feel like she hadn't had enough food recently with as much as she ate at that point. She has continued to eat well, to drink well, she's pooping like normal, and it's a normal consistency. The biggest issue is she will not stand. She is in a small dog kennel right now, and she can motor in and out of it when it's outside on grass. She also uses her feet and wings to change positions in the kennel when she needs to move, and I have seen BOTH feet
moving and working. She just will not bear weight. The other thing my mom and so noticed is that when we attempt to help her stand and move, she tires extremely quickly. My two cents are that it's possible she was essentially captive in the coop for five days at least and maybe up to a week. There was food and water in the coop, but I'm not sure if the roosters and crappy hens let her access adequate food and water. Judging by her lethargy before food and her improvement after, I'm gonna say no. A human without enough food and water for a week doesn't just regain it all in 3 days. My mom is concerned that she may have suffered a stroke. She flaps both wings equally; there is no weirdness in her pupils; she eats and drinks and voids unassisted and with support, she will lay on both sides equally. She's also super interactive with the world and people around her. I won't give up on her, but I'm hoping to maybe understand how to help her and treat her from others who may have dealt with this. There is no disease or mites in our coop. We have 18 hens and one rooster no, and he may be going in the soup pot tomorrow. This sweet girl came from wilco over a year ago and was healthy until she was attacked. She has no signs of infection, either. Forgot to mention that. There were 6 hens as hatchlings introduced to the coop of 5 old ladies of whom 2 have since died, and the youngest of that group laid and hatched 17(!!!) chcikies who are about 4 weeks younger than this hen. Of that group, 5 were roosters; 1 rooster is left. We culled them after they attacked another hen when my hen was removed. I'm trying to think of anything else I can add. Oh, her feet don't splay out or go front to back. She seems to have good co trial of them equally as she moves them in her little cage condo. She just won't bear weight. I've pushed pulled (gently) and wiggled all Ther rid to wiggle on her legs, hips and feet and it does not illicit noise or a pain response. Her back alsofeels normal with no signs of external trauma, and no creputus along her back area when I press around. This is horribly frustrating for me, because I want her to be healthy and successful. She's just a juvenile yet! Thanks for reading and for sleuthing this out with me. I appreciate it more than you know!
Cheers!
Tarah and Queenie Chick chick (2 yr old named her)
moving and working. She just will not bear weight. The other thing my mom and so noticed is that when we attempt to help her stand and move, she tires extremely quickly. My two cents are that it's possible she was essentially captive in the coop for five days at least and maybe up to a week. There was food and water in the coop, but I'm not sure if the roosters and crappy hens let her access adequate food and water. Judging by her lethargy before food and her improvement after, I'm gonna say no. A human without enough food and water for a week doesn't just regain it all in 3 days. My mom is concerned that she may have suffered a stroke. She flaps both wings equally; there is no weirdness in her pupils; she eats and drinks and voids unassisted and with support, she will lay on both sides equally. She's also super interactive with the world and people around her. I won't give up on her, but I'm hoping to maybe understand how to help her and treat her from others who may have dealt with this. There is no disease or mites in our coop. We have 18 hens and one rooster no, and he may be going in the soup pot tomorrow. This sweet girl came from wilco over a year ago and was healthy until she was attacked. She has no signs of infection, either. Forgot to mention that. There were 6 hens as hatchlings introduced to the coop of 5 old ladies of whom 2 have since died, and the youngest of that group laid and hatched 17(!!!) chcikies who are about 4 weeks younger than this hen. Of that group, 5 were roosters; 1 rooster is left. We culled them after they attacked another hen when my hen was removed. I'm trying to think of anything else I can add. Oh, her feet don't splay out or go front to back. She seems to have good co trial of them equally as she moves them in her little cage condo. She just won't bear weight. I've pushed pulled (gently) and wiggled all Ther rid to wiggle on her legs, hips and feet and it does not illicit noise or a pain response. Her back alsofeels normal with no signs of external trauma, and no creputus along her back area when I press around. This is horribly frustrating for me, because I want her to be healthy and successful. She's just a juvenile yet! Thanks for reading and for sleuthing this out with me. I appreciate it more than you know!
Cheers!
Tarah and Queenie Chick chick (2 yr old named her)
