Rescues - endless health problems - scaly leg, sun burn and prolpase vent

[Fluffandfeathers]

Hi,
So following my last post late last week the lady on the other allotment has finally relinquished her 4 poor birds to us.

One bird is 2 /3 bald with what appears to be wicked sunburn which has caused her skin to dry and and harden over the feather follicles. Many feathers are growing under the skin .

One bird has a prolapsed vent which has been untreated for 5 days.

They all 4 have scaly leg.

I could literally curse this person. But now I have them and want to get them well.

I have treated the prolapse, bathed her, liberal use of haemorrhoid cream and managed to get it to go back for a while. It did pop out again when she laid a shell-less egg on my boot, but mostly returned. But I now have her in the dark and away from the flock so hoping we can help her.

Any advice please. At this point I'll try anything to help these poor ladies.

 

[Isaac 0]

@Eggcessive

 

[LaFleche]

How does the prolapse look, has there already some necrosis taken place or all still intact?

To treat the scaly legs you might want to spray them with Ballistol Animal Spray for 10 consecutive days, spraying every other day. This will smother the mites and their eggs and allow for the legs to heal.

To adress the shell less egg: vitamin D3+calcium+vitamin K for 6-10 days.

De-worm them thoroughly.

Inspect for lice and mites.

Add Nutri Drench or similar to their drinking water.

Feed them a daily dose of scrambled eggs with oatmeal and grated carrots adding just a little corn oil and oregano.

Provide lots of grit and calcium in separate dishes.

Provide a dustbath.

I hope they will recover soon.

 

[Fluffandfeathers]

How does the prolapse look, has there already some necrosis taken place or all still intact?

To treat the scaly legs you might want to spray them with Ballistol Animal Spray for 10 consecutive days, spraying every other day. This will smother the mites and their eggs and allow for the legs to heal.

To adress the shell less egg: vitamin D3+calcium+vitamin K for 6-10 days.

De-worm them thoroughly.

Inspect for lice and mites.

Add Nutri Drench or similar to their drinking water.

Feed them a daily dose of scrambled eggs with oatmeal and grated carrots adding just a little corn oil and oregano.

Provide lots of grit and calcium in separate dishes.

Provide a dustbath.

I hope they will recover soon.

Hello,

So the prolapse was intact and we have managed to get it to go back and stay. I am checking her 3 times a day, ensuring she is clean and and if it pops out to ease it back gently. It has been staying put for increasingly longer time frames, the best being 18hours and counting today. We are still keeping her in the dark and aasy from the flock to stop her laying and hoping this will give her time to rest and heal.

With regards everything else my first steps were to de-worm them, clean and mite powder their accommodation, grit and shell are sorted, dust bath is in place etc.

Thank you for the scaly leg advice. We've tried vaseline but it's awfully messy!

Any advice for a sunburnt chook who's skin is so rough and dry her feathers are growing under the surface? We have started to moisturise her and keep an eye on the feathers for in-growing ones.

Thank you

 

[LaFleche]

This all sounds as if you were already doing a great job, lucky chickens!

I have no experience with sunburned chicks, but I would treat the skin with coconut oil and try to free the pinfeathers from time to time.

And of course keep her out of the sun as much as possible.

 

[Eggcessive]

A picture of the prolapsed vent could help. Usually a daily soaking in warm soapy water or Epsom salts helps to soothe clean up the prolapsed cloaca. When the red internal tissue outside, it should be kept moist with honey, sugar syrup, or nontoxic oil of choice. I agree with using calcium and vitamin D along with a balanced chicken feed to help her lay stronger eggs would help. You might want to make a chicken saddle for the hen with sunburn, since many chickens will not regrow lost feathers until the next molt. I made some one piece no sew chicken saddles similar to these that were only held on by the wings:
http://www.linnacresfarm.com/2014/04/how-to-make-simple-hen-saddleapron.html