Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: catgoodyear on September 08, 2010, 16:17
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Please help. We have two wonderful "domesticated" polish hens. We hatched them from eggs, snuggle with them daily, and consider them as pets. They live a happy free range, quiet life with my family. Unfortunately, yesterday, a huge dog came for a visit and charged the hens. The dog's owner let him off his leash, without our permission and we are more than angry. Our golden polish hen had a siezure, from the extreme stress event. Now, she is not acting right. She is very unsteady, seems hungry but can't eat or drink properly (I'm hand feeding and using an eye dropper), and twiches non-stop. I think she has had a stroke.
I talked to the exotic animal vet, and she said all I can do is put her in a quiet place and continue to encourage food and water intake. Right now, my sweet bird is snuggled in a box, on a heating pad in the family room.
Does anyone have any other advice? It will devastate our family to loose her, not to mention it will devestate her life buddy and best friend, our white crested polish hen. The two of them are bonded beyond belief, and the other one appears so sad.
Please help. :(
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your vet is right - warmth and quiet is what is needed for her - if you feel she or her bessie mate are lonely could you make room for them both indoors? It may help her recover quicker having her friend there. Keep up the tlc - you are doing everything right :)
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I agree with Joyfull. I know from very bitter experience that stress can make them for poorly, and that peace and quiet with lots of small treats is the answer. I also am convinced that being alone can stress them more, and that the "well" chook can make a good nursemaid.
BL**DY DOGS.
Did the dog belong to a friend of yours? If so, that friend will be liable for any future vet bills you may have as a result of this.
I wish you all the luck in the world with you little girl.
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It seams like she could not be in better hands i do hope that she gets well soon. Please keep us posted with any news.
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Good Luck from me too :(
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Thank you for all your thoughts and well wishes.
You won't believe it when I tell you that the Beastly Dog is my in-law's. He is an aggressive horrible monster and we have never permitted him in or near our house. Yesterday, they decided to take matters into their own hands. So....a Family Saga has begun.
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Give me my animals any day rather than my in laws.
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I hope she starts feeling better but Joyful is right. You might want to bring her friend in with her I know when my Polish hen got ill she was pushed to eat by her two friends, think that was the main reason she even ended up living. Personally think Polish chickens act a bit differently towards each other when they are ill.
Shame your in-laws can't put their feet in your shoes if there was a giant chicken that went for their dog and scared it sh**less I am guessing they would understand! Sad that they don't get that! Sorry my thoughts are with you ....
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How is you baby girl today catgoodyear?
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Hi, it sounds like your lovely hen is getting feistier which is a good sign.
Her mate with her in sight is a good idea. When our Poppy was ill and I put her in sight of the others, you could visibly see her perk up.
Do'nt start me on irresponsible dog owners!!
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So, I took everyone's advice and put my sweet golden polish, Violet, back outside with her best friend. I hand fed her wheat bread soaked in nutrient water...the kind we gave when they were just baby chicks. I spent most of the day with her, holding her, stroking her, feeding her, and helping her walk straight, when she wanted to walk at all.
Interestingly, Viva, the white crested polish best friend, spent the entire day right with us. And not fussy, or irritable. She sat wherever Violet was, right there showing her love and support. It was pretty cool to see.
Later in the day, I let the two of them try to go free ranging and Viva was patient and kind, walking to their favorite shady spot. Then, they laid there for several hours together and seemed very content.
It took two attempt for Violet to mount her perch last night. The first one turned into a sad sommersault of lost balance. But, bless her, she tried again and got up there.
This morning, I had to hand feed her again, as she doesn't seem to have the pecking thing down. I think she lost some vision in the stroke. She moves her head funny, and when I hand feed her, she almost never gets the item on the ifrst attempt.
Anyway, that's the update. I'm going to continue to tend to her, and let Viva help with her polish love!
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it sounds like the care from you and Viva will sort Violet out, it's just a case of time and tlc, fingers crossed xx
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Aaah. Fingers still crossed for her, glad her friend is giving her the will to pull through. With your loving care, Im sure she will make it.
Good Luck!!!!
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good luck from me too :). Keep us posted
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don't think my 2 dogs would let you in our house without chewing your legs off first :lol:
Your dog is obviously more people friendly (mine besides being pets are aslo guard dogs - very big dogs - a neapolitan mastiff and a new foundland /GSD cross). Nice idea though :)
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Cat, sounds like your hen is going to survive, which is great news.
Another thing you can do for a sick or traumatised hen is to give them electrolytes in their water. In the US, you can get Pedialyte from the drugstore, which is a children's supplement. You just dilute it according to the instructions. I know a lot of chicken keepers in the US who swear by it. You can also use it now and then just to perk up a chicken after a moult for example.
If you wanted to link up with other US chicken enthusiasts, then I have found this site really useful, also for advice on emergency treatments, etc. www.backyardchickens.com
I hope your little hen goes from strength to strength.
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Violet is pecking, eating, and drinking by herself now! She has lost a bit of weight though, and she's moulting (loosing a lot of feathers at least) so that has us concerned. Is that normal after a traumatic event?
I will definitley do the Pedialyte thing.....I was making up an electrolyte mix from powder, but Pedialyte is much easier.
I'll keep you posted!
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That is great news!
I don't know if moulting can occur as a result of trauma, but it would certainly make sense as a stress reaction. You might want to give her a vitamin and mineral supplement for a few weeks while she moults, as she will need a lot of her natural resources to make new feathers. I use something in the UK called "chicken spice" but I know people in the US who use children's vitamins added to the water. If you do this, make sure you get the one without iron. I am not sure of the correct dilution for chickens, but you might be able to find this out from the forum I mentioned as it is widely used in the US.
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Hi, I'm glad to hear your chicken is getting better. Moulting is natural after such trauma. Poppy lost a frightning amount of feathers when she was getting better. Whenever I lifted her up, there was a circle of feathers where she was sat. I gave her poultry spice in her feed also and the occasional piece of cat food as a treat. Not too much of the cat food though because it can make their poo stink like cat poo.