Severely dehydrated chicken

[jasonvanorder]

Tuesday we noticed one of our polish hens went missing. Not a trace of her. I figured an owl got her since she like roost outside. Well I found her this morning hidden between a post and the fence in a far corner of the run. She had to have been there since Monday night Tuesday morning. We have had temps in the upper 80s with high humidity. I know she is severely dehydrated. Right now I’m trying to get a couple drops of Gatorade at a time into her with a syringe. She can barely move. Any other ways I can help her besides getting fluids in her as quick as I can?

 

[coach723]

You can tube fluids orally or you can give fluids subcutaneously. Fluids should be warmed, not cold. This thread has links with more info, subq fluids link is in post #1, tubing in post #2:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...s-new-tube-feeding-link.944381/#post-14545734
This is another good thread on tubing:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/go-team-tube-feeding-updated-12-29-2019.805728/

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Tuesday we noticed one of our polish hens went missing. Not a trace of her. I figured an owl got her since she like roost outside. Well I found her this morning hidden between a post and the fence in a far corner of the run. She had to have been there since Monday night Tuesday morning. We have had temps in the upper 80s with high humidity. I know she is severely dehydrated. Right now I’m trying to get a couple drops of Gatorade at a time into her with a syringe. She can barely move. Any other ways I can help her besides getting fluids in her as quick as I can?

Will she eat? If she will eat, you can mix her pellets or crumble into a mash with a lot of water.

 

[jasonvanorder]

You can tube fluids orally or you can give fluids subcutaneously. Fluids should be warmed, not cold. This thread has links with more info, subq fluids link is in post #1, tubing in post #2:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...s-new-tube-feeding-link.944381/#post-14545734
This is another good thread on tubing:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/go-team-tube-feeding-updated-12-29-2019.805728/

Thank you I will look at those. Unfortunately I have to go to work soon so my daughter will take over till my wife gets home. She’s slowly taking fluid so I’m hoping she will slowly start to come around

 

[jasonvanorder]

Will she eat? If she will eat, you can mix her pellets or crumble into a mash with a lot of water.

Nope. She can barely move at all. She just lays and occasionally tries to pick up her head. She’s in bad bad shape. Trying to help her.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Thank you I will look at those. Unfortunately I have to go to work soon so my daughter will take over till my wife gets home. She’s slowly taking fluid so I’m hoping she will slowly start to come around

Make sure that if you are forcing her to drink fluids that you don’t end up having it go down the wrong side of her mouth, because that end up putting fluids in her lungs.

 

[jasonvanorder]

Make sure that if you are forcing her to drink fluids that you don’t end up having it go down the wrong side of her mouth, because that end up putting fluids in her lungs.

We are. Plus we are giving her only a couple drops at a time then letting her rest.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

We are. Plus we are giving her only a couple drops at a time then letting her rest.

Also, if you have some electrolytes you can add to the water, even just Gatorade if you have it. You can add that to the water.

 

[Swbertrand1]

We are. Plus we are giving her only a couple drops at a time then letting her rest.

Here's a good article on giving chickens oral fluids with some photos that help with the anatomy of their mouths to be sure:
https://bitchinchickens.com/2020/02/06/how-to-safely-give-oral-medications/

 

[LostBoi73]

Things like full fat cola, but you have to shake the fiz out. Good luck