Rooster got his tongue tangled in a string! Help!

[dtsnyder]

Hi All!
I am new to BYC (though I've lurked for several months). This morning I went out to the coop to check on a rooster that had been pecked (I got Blu Kote this morning) only to discover that another rooster was lying on the ground with a string (that was attached to the coop door) tightly wrapped around his tongue. We immediately clipped the string as close to his tongue and possible but there is a little left (I cant tell yet if the string is still wrapped - I would imagine it is). He was bleeding a bit, but that has stopped. My concern is obviously if he will be able to survive this (I'm guessing tongues are important!!).

I took some veggie treats to them this afternoon and he was having a hard time eating the lettuce.

Any advice? We're going to look in a few hours to verify whether or not the string is there, but in the meantime I'd like some advice.

 

[Harley's girl]

I have no advice. But that is crazy. Darn birds they try to eat anything. Their tongue is important ( I do know that) You may want to bring him in and give him sugar water till it heals and he can eat. Good luck to you and welcome to the forum!

 

[dtsnyder]

Thanks! If I did bring him in, how would I contain him? Sorry for the dumb question, but he's 16 wks old and big.

 

[Wynette]

I think it's important to go & check ASAP, because it could cut off the blood circulation to his tongue if there is still some tangled on it...GOOD LUCK!

Do you have a dog crate you can put him in? THey work wonderfully well for containment!

 

[jbowyer01]

Please go out and check on him! Make sure that string is completly gone. His tongue also might be swollen or irritated. I would bring him inside in a nice quiet room. I use a wire dog kennel and I put a sheet over part of it to keep it cave like. Make sure he still has water and food thats accessible and keep tabs on how much he eats and drinks (mark the bowls if needed). He might be absolutley fine but better safe than sorry.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

If you could get another family member to help, restrain his wings and feet by wrapping his body firmly in a towel. Then you can examine his beak and tongue while your family member holds him. A magnifying glass would help, too.

 

[dtsnyder]

We just went outside and checked on him. I held him while my husband opened his beak. His tongue looks okay - there wasnt any evidence of the string. I'm sure he's going to be sore (I have no idea how long he was tied up) - that may be why he wasn't eating the lettuce.

I need to find a dog cage - that's a good idea to monitor and measure how much he eats. Poor guy! In the meantime, I'll keep a close eye on him and make sure everything seems okay. He has been pecking at the treats/food/scratch, so that's a good sign I'm sure.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[FarmerDenise]

I have used large plastic laundry baskets and large plastic rubbermaid type containers as emergency housing for sick and injured birds. I just drape a large bath towel over the top and place newspapers and a small towel in the bottom. Once the towel is over the top, it is dark inside and the bird usually does not try to get out.
We also have two bathrooms and one of them has become our emergency animal pen. I don't keep much stuff on the counter, so it can quickly and easily be my emergency treatment room and place to keep assorted kritters that need to be in the house.
It has good lighting, surfaces are easy to clean up and the water is right there. I also keep all our first aid stuff in that bathroom. One drawer for humans, one for chickens, one for the dog, cat and rabbit and one for communal supplies.
Hope your rooster is ok. You might want to give him some aspirin to help with the swelling and pain he might be in. I forgot what the dose it, but you can search for it here. It has been listed numerous times.

 

[LynneP]

I'd hold off the aspirin for at least 24 hours in case tongue bleeds again...

 

[dtsnyder]

I never knew there was so much to know about chickens! This is our first time owning them - we're having fun, except when stuff like this happens! I just hate to see them in any kind of pain.

I do have some tupperware containers - perhaps I'll bring him inside (maybe along with the rooster being pecked). It should make for an interesting night since we're remodeling and we're all living downstairs - what's two more??

Thanks!