3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[Emzy]

Hi

 

My epileptic polish hen is covered in blood, i let them out into their run and the polish is covered in blood, (the other is a silkie)

 

Now Im new to keeping chickens so what do I do? Can I bath her? If so how on earth do I do it? Typically Ive got work this morning so she has got to stay as she is until 1pm and i just know Im going to be worrying all morning

 

Neither of the are acting any differently, they've come out and eaten and now sat down (I have very lazy chickens!) the blood is on all her chest feathers, I guess she may have had a fit in the night and caught herself on something.

 

I just thought Id ask on here what to do and get some good advice and then I can act on it when I get back.

[gongladosh]

is there any chickenwire you can use to separate them with?

 

Next thing you'll need is to gently wash the blood off and see how bad the cut is. Is there anywhere near you that sells Gentian Violet? (The antiseptic purple spray that hides blood).

 

When I need to wash my hens down, I use a bucket of warm-ish water and manually scoop water onto them - others use the sink or bath. The water should be warmish but not hot. Think baby temperature and you're probably on the money. If you do use soap, use something gentle, not too perfumed etc.

Edited March 25, 2011 by Guest

[Emzy]

Yep, Ill separate them now and there is an animal shop right by where i work so ill grab some of that too. At the moment they are just cuddled up together on the grass

[gongladosh]

Good stuff - I'm sure she'll be OK, you just need to look at the cut and see how bad it is.

 

If not that bad once cleaned up, gentian violet should sort it - it's antiseptic. Just keep an eye on her for any signs of infection (ie hen not acting normally, looking sorry for herself etc). I'd reckon with the spray on her, you don't HAVE to keep her separate, but I would, just for a day or two. Wear gloves/old clothes when putting the spray on, it goes everywhere and doesn't like coming off!

 

Chickens tend to peck at red things instinctively (apparently that's why on farms the feeders tend to have red bases) so the purple spray will mask the remnants of blood.

 

If it's a huge cut (unlikely), a vet trip may be a good idea.

 

Oh, and when you wash her down, don't forget to dry her (you'll need to be gentle on this because of the cut) - either an old towel or a hairdryer at a slight distance set to warmish (not hot).

[Patricia W]

Are you sure the Silkie hasn't pecked her?

[Emzy]

Yes am quite sure the silkie hadn't pecked her, the cut was on her neck by her throat. Also they never even had a pecking order competition when they first met, it was as if my silkie knew the polish hen wasn't well.

 

Anyway I stayed at home to look after her but unfortunately she had another fit and passed away, so RIP Omlet, At least she had found a new best friend and a 'mom' and 'dad' who loved her lots.

I didn't think there would be many tears as we hadn't had her long but we were both really upset, even had tears from my OH, its amazing how attached you can get to them isn't it.

 

 

Now i need to sort out friends for 'nugget' (the silkie) quite hard looking at chickens so soon though. I bet im coming across as a complete wuss aren't I!!

 

Thank you for the advice you gave gongladosh, I really appreciate it x

[Groovychook]

So sorry to hear about your girl

[gongladosh]

Really sorry to hear it - RIP Omlet.

 

We lost our first hen last year (and it was before her time too) - it's absolutely gutting, but it does get easier when you buy a new friend (or friends) for your existing hen - it's best to do this sooner rather than later.

 

Take care, and good luck with the next ones.