Soaking a hen in cold weather

[jonalisa]

Hi all,
It is still winter temps here in NH - temps today in high teens.
I have two hens with leg issues:

• My 6 yr old Silver Cuckoo Marans, Alice, has issues for about a year which ranges from not being able to walk more than two steps before falling/sitting to being able to awkwardly run. She has had temporary improvement from soaks in Epsom salt over the summer.
• My 9 yr old Buff Brahma, Pants Pie: I recently noticed her not roosting at night but just sitting on the poop board. I made her a little dog bed on the poop board and she goes there at night to sleep, rather than roost. She does get up and down on her own, but I just noticed she has started limping.

I just spent Saturday trimming all their nails and didn't see any health issues with their feet.
So I was thinking I should bring them in the house for Epsom salt soaks, but is it unwise to do in these temps? I always blow dry them, but wonder if it's wiser to wait until warmer temps?

Thanks for any advice/thoughts.
jonalisa

 

[SulkyBantam]

What a coincidence, I just epsom bathed my hen. It isn't freezing here but certainly isn't warm. I think if you decide to bathe them, let them dry off indoors before [putting them back out.

 

[jonalisa]

Ok thanks for the sanity check!