- Jul 30, 2009
- 30
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I have a poor Cochin chick (2-3 months old) who has been through the mill. First, she inexplicably developed an injury to her right leg and wing. Although I didn't see it, I suspect rough handling by a local girl who is tough on animals and who was visiting the day before. She was slumped over to the side, leg extended and wing askew, and couldn't walk.
Over time, the chick, Goldie, slowly recovered, but she never recovered fully. Since then, she pretty much stopped growing. She flops onto her side a lot, especially when the other two Cochins are near her (maybe they shove her over) and while she started walking again, she has never wanted to perch.
Still, she was eating, walking, and drinking. In the meantime, the two other Cochins (both males) grew rapidly and soon dwarfed her in size. They live in a large rabbit cage on the back porch until I can get a proper coop made, and I've noticed the males sitting on her and pestering her, and recently, she seemed to be regressing. Especially after I saw them piled on her, with her upside down.
So I isolated her in a cat carrier I have, with bedding, food, and water, and brought her inside last night since it's getting chilly here and she didn't have the warmth of the others.
I had to run out for about 45 minutes, and while I was gone, the dog went after her cage, knocked it over, and when I came home, I found her lying in what looked like a lifeless pile of feathers on the floor. Wet, slobbered, and on her side, eyes closed. Shockingly, she was alive, and when I picked her up, she opened her eyes, so I put her back in the cage on a soft towel and put the cage outside with the other two Cochins, with the carrier facing the other cage so the chicks could see one another. She just settled down and closed her eyes.
When we got back from church, I thought for sure she'd be gone, but to my absolute surprise, this tough little chick was sitting up, eyes open. I gave her fresh water and she drank. Now she's just hanging out, drying out, but I'm afraid to touch her or move her because I don't know what injuries she might have. I haven't tried to give her feed yet. Thought I'd wait a little bit.
So a couple of questions.
1. Should I try to feed her? Or just give her water for a day or so?
2. Is it good to bring her in the house at night where it's warm (we're in Pennsylvania, so it's getting down into the 40s at night)? Or will she do better in the more familiar environment of the porch and her bullying male companions, even though she's the only one in the cage and won't have the others for warmth (or suffocation).
2. Are there things I can give her, like chicken vitamins, that will speed her recovery? When a chicken has been traumatized, what do they need? Electrolytes? Vitamins?
Thanks,
Heidi
Over time, the chick, Goldie, slowly recovered, but she never recovered fully. Since then, she pretty much stopped growing. She flops onto her side a lot, especially when the other two Cochins are near her (maybe they shove her over) and while she started walking again, she has never wanted to perch.
Still, she was eating, walking, and drinking. In the meantime, the two other Cochins (both males) grew rapidly and soon dwarfed her in size. They live in a large rabbit cage on the back porch until I can get a proper coop made, and I've noticed the males sitting on her and pestering her, and recently, she seemed to be regressing. Especially after I saw them piled on her, with her upside down.
So I isolated her in a cat carrier I have, with bedding, food, and water, and brought her inside last night since it's getting chilly here and she didn't have the warmth of the others.
I had to run out for about 45 minutes, and while I was gone, the dog went after her cage, knocked it over, and when I came home, I found her lying in what looked like a lifeless pile of feathers on the floor. Wet, slobbered, and on her side, eyes closed. Shockingly, she was alive, and when I picked her up, she opened her eyes, so I put her back in the cage on a soft towel and put the cage outside with the other two Cochins, with the carrier facing the other cage so the chicks could see one another. She just settled down and closed her eyes.
When we got back from church, I thought for sure she'd be gone, but to my absolute surprise, this tough little chick was sitting up, eyes open. I gave her fresh water and she drank. Now she's just hanging out, drying out, but I'm afraid to touch her or move her because I don't know what injuries she might have. I haven't tried to give her feed yet. Thought I'd wait a little bit.
So a couple of questions.
1. Should I try to feed her? Or just give her water for a day or so?
2. Is it good to bring her in the house at night where it's warm (we're in Pennsylvania, so it's getting down into the 40s at night)? Or will she do better in the more familiar environment of the porch and her bullying male companions, even though she's the only one in the cage and won't have the others for warmth (or suffocation).
2. Are there things I can give her, like chicken vitamins, that will speed her recovery? When a chicken has been traumatized, what do they need? Electrolytes? Vitamins?
Thanks,
Heidi
