The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: caz on January 17, 2016, 01:36:24 pm
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One of my hens was attacked yesterday by a dog or fox but I couldn't find her only lots of feathers . I assumed the worst. Today my parents found her alive! She has lost all the feathers on her back and has been bitten but is gingerly eating and drinking. I cleaned her with salty water and dried her. We have put her in a biggish rabbit hutch away from the others inside a field shelter but not sure weather I should bring her in the house or if that will stress her more?
We have no electricity there for a heat lamp. I've looked online and pets at home sell gel pars for the microwave but not sure whether we should just move her indoors.
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Oh dear,
poor girl. You are right about balancing the negative effects of stress with the advantages of bringing her in.
Apart from the stress of the dog / fox attack is the possibility of infection from the bite so an antibiotic would be advisable. Have a word with your vet to prescribe something.
I personally would bring her in to the rabbit cage and make sure that she eats by tempting her with tasty treats. Feeding corn generated heat too. Make sure that she keeps hydrated and try a little poultry tonic or critical care formula to give her immune system a boost.
Bringing a friend in with her might help too as it may settle her and encourage her to eat. As long as her "friend" doesn't eat all her goodies and bully her.
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Hi thanks for the reply. She will have to make it through the night to see the vet as it's just far too expensive on a Sunday to go to them. She's an Orpington so I put her friend in earlier with her but she just wanted to peck her wound so they were promptly separated
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Depending on your relationship with your vet you can always phone the on call vet for advice which is free. If your vet has seen your birds they can leave an antibiotic at reception for you to collect on mon and administer as drops. That means that you wouldn't pay a consultation fee.
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One of mine was attacked and had big flesh wounds but seemed ok. I put it in a warm shed with food etc and it recovered well. You could give it some ABs if you have some.
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Do you think it would be ok on these minus 0 temperatures ?
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Depends on your housing. If you've something like a broody coop with a ventialtion grid at the top, so the atmosphere inside doesn't get too damp, you could insulate the outside with old carpet, straw, potato sacks or similar. Depressed immune system due to the attack makes her vulnerable to things like pneumonia.
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Thanks for replies. I've moved her into my parents house as my house is no good. So hopefully she will make it. She's managed a night out by herself in sub zero temp when I didn't know where she was bless her. I'll call vet tomorrow n see if they will give antibiotics without needing to go there
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:fc: for her. She's a trooper. :love: :chook:
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When we had a similar attack, again a dog which took many feathers from the chickens back, with similar wounds we used a broody box. After thorough cleaning we kept her alone and gave free food and water access.It took a good week or so but she responded fully and is still with us.
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Bless her we took her to the vets today and was told pts or hospitalise her which was estimated to cost upwards of £200 :tired: I persuaded the vet to meet in the middle and she has been injected with antibiotics and pain relief and also some fluids to help hydrate her and she has come home. She has to go back tomorrow.
She is a lovely hen, very tame and my daughters favourite so I really hope she pulls through
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2nd vets visit done and £120 down now but at least she us still with us and appears to be picking up. She's not eating and drinking as heartily as I would like her. She's only really eating tinned sweet corn and also some mixed corn out of a sack. I hope her appetite is back soon
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Don't over fuss, just check her drinking water and grain haven't been upset and leave her alone, she's had a dreadful shock and needs to settle, if you keep changing here whereabouts she'll continue to be stressed and never settle and so will not eat properly etc. I'd give her minimal contact and perhaps a radio on very quietly though perhaps in an adjoining room so she knows there is someone about. She'll probably not want to move around much. Wait until she is completely healed and feathered up before you put her near the others - if they see a strange looking specimen they will attack and if there is bare skin they will go in for blood.
I've always been rubbish at letting things go and cost myself a fortune in the process. I'm a bit more hardened now but it is a life and you do get fond of livestock especially if you don't keep high numbers.
Good luck. x
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Try sprouting some of the mixed corn for a few days as that might tempt her to eat
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Oh dear, what a horrible time your chicken has had, and now that veterinarian is taking the mickey with a choice of either pts or a £200+ bill. I'm glad you didn't simply accept it! :thumbsup:
You're right in getting her the antibiotics, and indeed she needs to be kept warm (a cool room indoors will do) and preferably have a friend. Scrambled eggs, corn, maggots etc will all do her some good. Medicinal grade manuka honey is inexpensive and very good on wounds - about £4 per small tube online.
I just can't help being annoyed by that vet. Antibiotics and pain relief / anti-inflammatory plus the consultation itself would have cost under £40 at our vet's and that means being cared for by an excellent chicken vet.
A large wound on a hen here was operated on last month and she had to stay in for a night and it was still only £100 including general anaesthetic and aftercare (wound checks) etc. Though another vet in our area would happily charge twice as much as everyone else here.
There are chicken saddles available - if you're good with a sewing machine you could perhaps make her a little downy one...? :)
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Yeah unfortunately this is the only 'exotics' vet in the area. All the rest wouldn't have a clue if it's not a cat or dog. Her wounds are nasty I agree which is why he kinda gave me that ultimatum initially cos he felt she just wouldn't survive otherwise. It's still touch and go. They have gave me 3 days worth of antibiotics I have to inject her with and also a silver based cream to apply every day .
I hunted in the garden for earth worms but she's not eating them but last night she started eating pellets and drinking water by herself which was excellent to see.
She's started coming out her rabbit hutch herself and into the passage but then just stands there looking at her reflection in the door glass so I gave her a mirror to look at.
She started clucking loud at it I'm not sure if that's a happy sound or what? ? :: ???
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Eating pellets and drinking water, and moving about, seem like very good signs to me :fc:
I'm sure you do have grit for her? She'll need that in her crop. And would probably benefit from a small amount of wheat (whole grain) at bedtime, also for crop health.
Keeping my fingers and toes crossed for her!
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Yes we've got grit for her too. She has constant supply of 'mixed corn' would that be the whole wheat?
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Mixed corn is a mixture of grains, of which some will be wheat.
As I understand it, wheat is best fed, on its own, whole, before bed, when the whole hard grains will help the bird process what's in its crop overnight.
If they eat wheat in the morning, it'll fill them up, and they won't forage (or eat pellets) as they should for optimum nutrition, not to mention getting some exercise.
With your hen not having her appetite back completely, I thought it would be a good idea to make sure she has some wheat to help her crop work. Also, they usually seem to love wheat above almost everything else. ;)
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a few raisins and/or some split grapes or a teaspoon of boiled cooked rice are all yummy. x
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Well she survived after all . She is currently still a house chicken and makes herself at home in my parents kitchen . We are going to bring her friend up to live in the garden with her once the last of her wounds have healed.