Hi. I was asked to rescue a game hen that was living by my local hospital. She was sleeping in the trees to stay safe. I have her isolated and have been treating her for a mild respiratory infection(Doxyvet 1.5ml twice a day). Last dose is tomorrow. She seems to be very depressed and not eating much and she is losing weight where before, when I caught her, she was robust and a good weight. I will have had her for 1 week tomorrow evening. I have given her blueberries, scrambled egg, chick crumb and a load of other nutritious and tempting foods. She will pick at it but not a lot. She did lay an egg today after ai put her outside in my isolation pen so she could see the other chooks. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can help her adjust?
Wild rescue hen
- Thread starter KGCali3
- Start date
Do you have other chickens? She probably isn’t used to being cooped up. Do you have a run she can get out into?
- Thread starter
- #3
Yes, I do. I put her in the outside isolation pen today so she could see all the other chooks. That's when she laid the egg. I can't release her into my flock until she is fully clear of illness
- Thread starter
- #4
The isolation pen is about 6ft x 6ft and meshed so she could see all around
Has she been quarantined before the isolation pen?
Have you wormed her?
Have you wormed her?
- Thread starter
- #6
She has been inside my house in an isolation cage for the past 6 days. I was worried about her being depressed so I moved her to the outside isolation pen this morning where she could see and interact with the other chickens to perk her up a bit. She has not been wormed yet as I needed to treat her mild respiratory infection first. I didn't want to overload her with medications. I was worried that doing so could do more harm than good. I checked her crop amd she has eaten a bit today but I have done a supplemental tubefeed with Springwater Avian Health shake. I order it to the UK from America
It was kind of you to catch her, treat her and adopt her. I’m sure it is a huge adjustment for her. They’re so social and do get depressed easily. By chance was she with other chickens? Are there any more you can catch? Did she improve at all after seeing and hearing your chickens? I would think that would have helped her a bit.
I wonder if the stress of being caught has brought about some other illness or if it is really just a depression? To me it looks like something else is wrong the way she is standing with her eyes closed, but I could totally be wrong. Is her respiratory illness getting better?
Have you checked her for lice and mites? How is her crop? Is it emptying overnight?
You might try wetting her feed down into a mush, mine always think that is a treat.
I wonder if the stress of being caught has brought about some other illness or if it is really just a depression? To me it looks like something else is wrong the way she is standing with her eyes closed, but I could totally be wrong. Is her respiratory illness getting better?
Have you checked her for lice and mites? How is her crop? Is it emptying overnight?
You might try wetting her feed down into a mush, mine always think that is a treat.
- Thread starter
- #8
She was completely on her own living in a bush at the hospital car park. The staff were feeding her human food. I think that might be part of the issue as well. Her respiratory illness has gotten better. Her face is no longer swollen. But she does look a little bit jaundiced/yellow to me. But I could be wrong. I'm just not sure. She did perk up and start chuntering when she heard and saw the other chooks I have looked her over and didn't see any sign of lice or mites on her. Her crop is emptying normally and she poos normally. I tried giving her a mush but she turned her nose up. She has eaten blueberries and spinach pretty well and some versele laga stage 1/2 crumble. I think that she's used to being out wild living and this is a huge adjustment for her and she's struggling and depressed with being confined. But she absolutely cannot go back to living in the bush in a hospital carpark for obvious reasons
Aww poor girl. You’re doing the right thing, even if she doesn’t see it. It sounds like this will just be hard for her, then. Do you think she would enjoy a mirror? What about human company? Does she like to come out and visit with you? As time goes on perhaps she could go outside to the isolation area more and see and hear the others. Unfortunately she will need to adjust to this way of life.
As far the diet change, I suppose that will be a gradual thing, too. Perhaps you could crush some blueberries into some mashed chicken feed?
- Thread starter
- #10
She hasn't been with me long enough to determine if she likes my company or not. Inside she is near my little run with my handreared baby bunnies. She seems to like staring at them. I will try the mashed blueberries. I didn't think of that. My plan is to put her into the outside isolation pen every day from tomorrow. So she can get used to my flock and vice versa. I'll try to see if I can get a mirror for her for indoors. She gets her last dose of antibiotic in the morning. Then I'll give her probiotics and then worm her. I'll also continue to supplement her diet with the shake feed to make sure she doesnt lose too much weight. Do you think that is a good plan?
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