Brief catch up on another thread. I found a silkie kinda collapsed I think 2 weeks ago, possibly with its foot stuck on something. Acted lethargic, mostly limp. I assumed maybe dehydration, heat exhaustion, possibly a leg/foot injury. Never was 100% on the "stuck" part. I was able to retrieve him just fine, but I have a mostly functioning human brain. Basically his leg was kind of "hugging" a bungee cord that's staked to the ground and runs up to a chicken swing to keep it from swinging too wildly.
I brought him inside and started tube feedings. He slowly improved day to day but didn't actually start walking until this past Thursday. So I thought great, he's walking, saw him peck at some food, maybe he's rebounded. Maybe he had an injured leg after all and its finally healed. So I put him outside, but isolated with one smaller/younger silkie companion.
This morning he really looked great. Saw him chase a bug, walking around a lot. His crop felt about the same as his buddy I paired with him, a kind of small, firm but pliable lump. Doesn't exactly match what I read they feel like, but its what any chicken I could catch and feel felt like. I saw him peck at his food. The one thing I never witnessed him doing is drinking anything.
Just a bit ago I found him laying down on his side, near limp again. Basically like the night I found him 2 weeks ago. Crop was completely empty, so whatever he had in it earlier today went through.
So I guess I'm asking for opinions on what the heck might be wrong with him:
Did I just rush him back to the outdoors maybe? If he had a heat stroke from being stuck and thrashing around, maybe he just can't handle the outdoor heat anymore?
If his leg and/or foot had broken bones, whats the recovery period usually look like for a chicken with that kind of injury? Do chickens with that kind of injury normally not eat and/or drink on their own while in pain maybe?
He has always felt a bit warm to the touch compared to other birds. Maybe a fever from a healing leg + being back outside in the heat was too much?
He's the only chicken that got sick out of 20, so I'm fairly confident its not a virus/bacteria/parasite type deal, but maybe I'm wrong? No visible worms in his poop. While in his lethargic phases, I did start to suspect something like mareks, but he bounced back and is the only one in the flock that ever looked sick.
I brought him inside and started tube feedings. He slowly improved day to day but didn't actually start walking until this past Thursday. So I thought great, he's walking, saw him peck at some food, maybe he's rebounded. Maybe he had an injured leg after all and its finally healed. So I put him outside, but isolated with one smaller/younger silkie companion.
This morning he really looked great. Saw him chase a bug, walking around a lot. His crop felt about the same as his buddy I paired with him, a kind of small, firm but pliable lump. Doesn't exactly match what I read they feel like, but its what any chicken I could catch and feel felt like. I saw him peck at his food. The one thing I never witnessed him doing is drinking anything.
Just a bit ago I found him laying down on his side, near limp again. Basically like the night I found him 2 weeks ago. Crop was completely empty, so whatever he had in it earlier today went through.
So I guess I'm asking for opinions on what the heck might be wrong with him:
Did I just rush him back to the outdoors maybe? If he had a heat stroke from being stuck and thrashing around, maybe he just can't handle the outdoor heat anymore?
If his leg and/or foot had broken bones, whats the recovery period usually look like for a chicken with that kind of injury? Do chickens with that kind of injury normally not eat and/or drink on their own while in pain maybe?
He has always felt a bit warm to the touch compared to other birds. Maybe a fever from a healing leg + being back outside in the heat was too much?
He's the only chicken that got sick out of 20, so I'm fairly confident its not a virus/bacteria/parasite type deal, but maybe I'm wrong? No visible worms in his poop. While in his lethargic phases, I did start to suspect something like mareks, but he bounced back and is the only one in the flock that ever looked sick.
