First Aid for Backyard Hens: Wounds, Prolapse, Egg Binding and Heat Stress

Chickens hide illness and injury until they cannot anymore, which means that when a hen looks sick, she has often been sick for a while. A handful of emergencies come up often enough in backyard flocks that every keeper should know them: wounds, a prolapsed vent, an egg stuck inside the hen, and heat or cold injury. In each, the first minutes matter, and so does knowing the point at which first aid ends and veterinary care begins.

This guide gives general information, not veterinary advice. Poultry veterinarians are scarce in some areas, so find one before you need one. If you want to find poultry health workshops near you, agriculture.directory can help you find agriculture events in your area.

Build a First Aid Kit

• Clean towels and disposable gloves.
• A carrier or box to move a bird.
• Saline wound wash or clean water.
• Vet wrap and gauze.
• Blunt scissors.
• A heat source for a hospital pen, used carefully.
• Electrolytes labeled for poultry.
• Your veterinarian's number and an emergency number.

Set Up a Hospital Pen

A sick or injured bird should be separated, because flock mates may peck at wounds or weakness, and because she needs quiet and warmth. Use a dog crate or large box with clean bedding, food and water, placed in a quiet spot out of drafts. Keep the bird where she can see other chickens if possible to reduce stress, and clean the pen often. A separate pen also lets you watch her droppings and appetite. Wash your hands and change clothes between sick birds and healthy ones, as the biosecurity guide explains.

Wounds and Predator Injuries

Pecking injuries and predator attacks are the most common causes of wounds. A hen that has been attacked may be in shock and may have injuries that are not obvious.

1. Remove her from the flock right away. Chickens are attracted to the sight of blood and can peck a wounded bird to death.
2. Keep her warm and quiet. A bird in shock needs warmth and darkness.
3. Control bleeding with gentle pressure.
4. Clean the wound with saline or clean water.
5. Call a veterinarian for deep wounds, bleeding that will not stop, torn skin, exposed muscle or bone, injuries to the eyes or any bird that cannot stand.

Do not leave a wounded bird with the flock until the wound has healed and no longer attracts pecking. Predator attacks are a sign the coop needs work, as the guide to predator-proofing your coop explains.

Prolapse

A vent prolapse means tissue from the oviduct or intestine protrudes from the vent. It can follow laying a very large egg, straining, obesity, or a reproductive problem. It is an emergency, because the exposed tissue can dry out, be pecked by other birds, become infected and cause death. Separate the hen immediately. Keep the tissue moist and clean, and call a veterinarian promptly. Do not push tissue back in unless a veterinarian has shown you how, because doing it wrong can injure the bird. A hen that prolapses once may do it again, and her laying and feeding may need review. Our guide to feeding laying hens covers nutrition, since overweight hens are at higher risk.

Egg Binding

An egg-bound hen has an egg she cannot pass. Signs include a hen standing upright like a penguin, straining, tail pumping, sitting in the nest box for hours, a swollen or hard abdomen, and lethargy. It may be caused by a very large or misshapen egg, calcium deficiency, obesity or a reproductive problem. A hen that is truly egg-bound can die. Move her to a warm, quiet place and call a veterinarian. Some keepers use warmth and humidity as a first step, but a bird that remains straining for hours needs veterinary help. Do not try to break the egg inside a hen, because shell fragments can cut internal tissue.

Frostbite

Combs, wattles and toes are most at risk, especially on large-combed birds and in damp, cold, drafty housing. Frostbitten tissue turns pale, then gray or black. Prevent it with dry, well-ventilated housing, which the winter care guide explains. If frostbite occurs, move the bird to a warm place and do not rub the tissue. Call a veterinarian about pain management and care. Damaged tissue may dry and fall off over time.

Heat Stress

Chickens do not sweat and cope poorly with high heat. Signs include panting, open beaks, wings held away from the body, pale combs, lethargy and diarrhea. In severe cases birds collapse. Move affected birds to shade, offer cool water and, if the bird is weak, consult a veterinarian immediately. Wetting the legs and feet with cool, not icy, water may help. Heavy breeds like the Sussex need extra shade, airflow and fresh water in hot weather. Prevent problems with shade, ventilation, extra waterers and avoiding handling in the hottest hours.

Other Emergencies

• Sour crop or crop impaction. A swollen, squishy crop that does not empty overnight. Consult a veterinarian.
• Respiratory distress. Gasping, discharge or sneezing may signal infection. Separate the bird and call a vet, because some respiratory diseases are reportable.
• Sudden deaths or several sick birds. Contact your veterinarian or state animal health agency. The USDA's Defend the Flock program provides biosecurity information and reporting guidance.

The Merck Veterinary Manual poultry section offers clinical descriptions of poultry diseases and conditions.

Euthanasia

Sometimes the kindest thing is a quick, humane end. If a bird is suffering and cannot recover, ask your veterinarian to euthanize her or to teach you an accepted method. Do not let a bird suffer from hesitation, and do not use methods that are not humane.

Prevent What You Can

• Feed a good layer diet and offer calcium separately.
• Keep hens at a healthy weight.
• Provide safe housing, shade and dry bedding.
• Check birds regularly.
• Keep a veterinarian's number handy.

Common Mistakes

• Leaving an injured bird with the flock. Pecking worsens it.
• Waiting to see if it improves. Prolapse and egg binding worsen fast.
• Forcing tissue back or breaking an egg inside. Injury follows.
• Overheating a sick bird. Heat must be controlled.
• Having no vet identified. Find one in advance.

Farm.fm's page on livestock on the small farm looks at what keeping animals involves, and for a laugh, see farm.fm's piece on a farm stand that adopts self-checkout.