Think Chicken Froze to Death, but Not Sure

[BlueMoon]

It was mighty icy last night and I thought I had all of the chickens inside. My DH opened the hatch this morning. I went out around noon, to visit and check on water, and one Wyandotte pullet was outside, on her side, eyes shut, mouth agape with snow in it. I'm just not convinced she's completely dead. Of course, can't reach the DH to find out if he saw her outside this morning.
She's inside now, by the woodstove - how long do I give her to decide if she's really dead? Is there anything I can do to bring her out of shock, if this is what's going on?

 

[Chirpy]

If there is any hope of saving her, and if she was freezing, you need to very slowly warm her up. Too fast is not good, so keep her a few feet from the heater and every little while move her closer.

I've also heard of people putting a freezing animal down into luke warm water in their bathtub/sink, just up to the animals neck and then slowly warm that water over a 20 minute or so period.

If she doesn't start to show any signs of life in the first hour I highly doubt that she's going to make it. Maybe someone here has first hand experience in this type of thing and can give better/different advice.

Good luck and I'm sorry.

 

[Lunachick]

I'm sorry to hear that, maybe put a dropper of liquid with vitamins in her beak? I hope she perks up for you. Others with more info will reply.

 

[chickbea]

Oh dear, oh dear. I vaguely remember a similar situation to this recently - perhaps if you do a search the thread will come up.
Is she still flexible? Have her feet closed?

 

[Wolfpacker]

What happened???

 

[SeaChick]

Yikes!! Please let us know what happened!!
Stacey

 

[BlueMoon]

Poor little thing didn't move after being inside for about three hours, so DH pronounced her dead and brought her to the burn pile, or whatever he does with them. Her feet never fully curled - is that what happens when they die? Her neck was completely limp the entire time.
Not sure how she was left out, or when she went out. Her "friend" was one of the roosters we harvested the other day - I have this awful guilty feeling she was outside looking for him.

Thanks for the help though - I much appreciate it.

 

[rooster-red]

You might want to do a beak count before you lock them up at night to avoid this happening again.

Thats what I do anyway.

 

[Wolfpacker]

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

So sorry to hear about your girl.

My first rooster didn't go back inside one night.. I had one of his ladies in the house and I think he was looking for her. Something found him before I did... RIP little Rocky.

Did she respond if you touched her eyes? That's my marker for whether or not I should try (although I did a massage on a mouse past that point, since I could feel it's heart beating.. brought it back. Unfor. 3hrs later it died again)

Meghan