Sebastian's Near Death Experience

Sebastian had a bad day yesterday.  Probably the worst day of his life.  It was a very bad day for us too.  When we found him, he was unconscious.  We genuinely thought he was dead.  Tia the turkey had snuck into his area with her kids Rachel and Betty - something she had never done before.  Tia and Sebastian have had a long-standing feud for reasons we still don’t fully understand. While these tensions have existed for some time, we have taken steps to mitigate their ability to see each other through fences, which has helped tremendously.   However his outcome was far more serious than anything we had ever expected.

Ryan scooped him up, holding his limp, unconscious body. Sebastian’s face and head was completely swollen and bloody, and he was unable to open either of his eyes (one is still swollen shut even now). We initially thought he was dead.  When we realized he was still faintly breathing, we immediately put him on oxygen, suspecting that we were just trying to give him the most peaceful ending possible. Being a weekend, an emergency visit would be our only vet option, and no guarantee they would even accept a chicken.  We knew that keeping him calm and comfortable was more important in that moment than a stressful car ride without oxygen (that might actually kill him) to a vet office that in all likelihood would turn him away. 

Over the next 20 minutes, we watched as he stopped gasping and started taking fast but steady breaths.  We realized that he might actually have a chance of survival and we dared to hope.  We contacted our farm vet's emergency line, and luckily our regular vet who also sees farm birds was on-call and nearby.  She came within an hour, and by this time Sebastian had regained consciousness and stood up! He quickly went back to sleep, which his body badly needed.  Our vet came and administered fluid, antibiotics, and an anti-inflammatory.  She told us that she thought he would make it, though he wasn't out of the woods yet. There was still a decent chance that his brain swelling could become to severe for him to overcome as the hours continued.  

Before bed we transfered him to a crate where he could get comfy in soft blankets, and offered him a small piece of banana.  To our immense relief he took a few small bites.  We checked on him a few times throughout the night, and in the morning, we heard the best sound - a crow!  We knew he had pulled through the most dangerous period and was on the mend.  

There was someone else affected by all of this, too.  Jareth,  Sebastian’s best friend, witnessed the attack and us carrying away his limp friend afterwards. So the next day, we brought Jareth inside for a brief visit so he could see that Sebastian was alive.  He clucked softly around him for a minute. Sebastian, still swollen and recovering, stood up when he heard Jareth’s voice, like he wanted to seem tough for his friend. 

It was a short visit so Sebastian could continue to rest and heal, and Jareth is spending some quality time inside the house with mom today while Ryan ensures all the fencing around the rooster area is completely impenetrable to prevent any future situations.  

Sebastian is not out of the woods yet. His swelling is still significant, and recovery will take time. We are following veterinary guidance closely and giving him plenty of time to rest.  We will keep you updated but for now, we are hopeful.