Strangulation in tongue mimics Wet Fowl Pox. (An important lesson learned)

[MsChickenMomma]

Sunni has been doing great. She still can't eat anything on her own, but she seems happier now that her mouth isn't so sore. Yesterday she tried to eat a moth, and the poor thing was in her mouth half alive for who knows how long before I found it. She didn't even know it was still in there.

 

[16 paws]

Sunni has been doing great. She still can't eat anything on her own, but she seems happier now that her mouth isn't so sore. Yesterday she tried to eat a moth, and the poor thing was in her mouth half alive for who knows how long before I found it. She didn't even know it was still in there.

I wonder if her tongue could grow back? I will pray for her. You are sweet to take such good care of her.
Blessings
Marie

 

[MsChickenMomma]

I wonder if her tongue could grow back? I will pray for her. You are sweet to take such good care of her.
Blessings
Marie

Thank you very much. Sadly I don't think it's possible for her to grow a tongue back. I'll keep hoping for that though.

 

[Sassafras]

I am sure it was very hard for you to tell that story but you did it trying to help all us other folks and our chickens. It is amazing what animals of all types will try to eat. Thanks for warning us.

 

[dealswonderhens]

I hope she is better.. As I am a noob to the whole experience of keeping backyard chickens. I will make sure that all string or anything that a chicken might peck at is policed up.

 

[MsChickenMomma]

An updated picture on Sunni. I took this picture today. She is doing great. She still cannot eat or drink on her own, but she seems happy and very healthy. She just turned 18 weeks old yesterday. (9/8/13)

 

[16 paws]

She looks great! Is she with the flock? How many times a day do you have to feed and water her? I am still praying her little tongue will grow back. We have a big God and He can do all things.
Marie

 

[MsChickenMomma]

Yes, she's with the rest of the flock.

I feed her three times a day with a syringe. (7:30am, 1:30pm, and 7:30pm) She gets three tablespoons of feed that I grind in a coffee grinder and then mix through a fine mesh seave, and I mix it in 3 ounces of water until it is the consistency of a formula. Feeding her this gives her all of the food and water she needs in one sitting.

It takes me about 30 minutes per feeding to feed her. Some people wonder how I manage to feed her by myself. I just sit on the floor, wrap her in a towel, and hold her with in-between my knees. That way I have both of my hands to feed her. I use a 10cc syringe to feed her, and she gets 2 and a half cc's each time I squirt the food into her mouth. So you can see why it takes me so long to feed her.

We did start tube feeding her for about a week, but it was very stressful for her and we had a hard time keeping her from flinging the tube out while we were changing the syringes. (we were using three and a half 35cc syringes when tube feeding)

She would much rather be fed with a syringe, so that's what I stick to doing.

 

[foreverlearning]

I know this is hard on you. What you are sharing is going to save someone else's pet. I have to say that with all the things that could go wrong with chickens I never would have thought about string and it amazes me that she can live and thrive without a tongue. I admire you for what you are doing.

 

[MsChickenMomma]

I know this is hard on you. What you are sharing is going to save someone else's pet. I have to say that with all the things that could go wrong with chickens I never would have thought about string and it amazes me that she can live and thrive without a tongue. I admire you for what you are doing.

Thank you very much.