3 wk old Barnevelder broken leg / attacked by dog

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jmshanzer3

jmshanzer3

Hatching
5 Years
Apr 23, 2014
4
0
9
Hi everyone,

I have a 3 week old Barnevelder that has a puncture wound and broken leg. My children let our Mastiff in the pen on accident, resulting in 3 dead and one injured. I am just heart broken. I have splinted the leg as best i can and flushed/cleaned out the wound. I am concerned that the leg has several breaks. Should I make a sling for her? If so, how long should I keep her in it? I am worried about infection setting in and also would like to know if I should give her an antibiotic and if so, what and how much? What are her chances? She survived through the night so I am hopeful. Help, please. These are my first chickens, so I really know nothing about this.

Also, for all you dog owners, how do you prevent this from happening again? Is there a way to teach my dog not to attack the chickens?
 
You can put Triple antibiotic ointment (WITHOUT PAIN) on the wound for a few days. Avoid antibiotics unless there is an infection setting up. The sling is a great idea and since the chick is young and growing fast, you may not have to leave her in there for very long. They heal fast. Probably just a couple of days. Put ACV in her drinking water. (ACV - Apple Cider Vinegar RAW)

As for the dog...You have a few options. You can go the nice and easy route and never let the dog anywhere near the chickens. Or you can get a little tough and smack that dog in the face with a dead chicken and give it the lecture of a lifetime. Scold the dog and give the mad face every time it looks at you for a while. Then, introduce the dog to the chicken and show how much you love them both when the dog is playing nice. Any signs of threat and you get the mad face going with growling voice. You are the Momma Chick protecting your babies. All animals will respect that or deal with your wrath.
 
Farmgirl4ms Thank you for your reply. I was really upset with the dog. Being that he is 180lbs and i am 115lbs it took all my strength to drag that dog by the back legs out of the pen. And yes I put a beating on him all the way back to the house. I will like take the mamma chicken approach with the dog. Thank you for the advice. What doea the vinegar do?
 
Splint leg,clean wounds daily using a diluted peroxide solution(2 T to one cup warm water)or similar product. Apply antibiotic ointment to wounds(nothing ending in "caine/cane"). Leave splint on for about 2 week,remove and check leg. Keep her warm,when ill/injured birds cannot regulate their body temp.

Watch for infection,signs of infection are: foul smell coming from wounds,redness/swelling,spreading redness/swelling,black tissue(necrotic,dead)bird becoming lethargic.

Keep dog away from birds,not all dogs can be trained to not kill birds. I never let my dogs(english mastiff,black lab)near my birds,ever.


Make sure she is eating/drinking.
 
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ACV has been given to chickens for many years since it has numerous health benefits and supports the immune system. It is particularly good at times of stress which can cause chickens to pick up disease when the immune system is low. Feed chopped up raw garlic for worms and health benefits.
 
My dog story...I had a Rottweiller and a Border Collie that I trained to leave the chickens alone after the Rottie decided to 'help' one of the little squawkers and killed it. I gave him a ration of 's**t' like no other. I wouldn't talk to him for the whole day. After that, I did the things I suggested in earlier post and they lived in the same house and yard together peacefully. The dogs were actually scared of the chickens after they were pecked a time or two. lol. Rewards are huge to a dog. If you are giving them treats for being good around the chicken, they will respond faster. I think you will see positive results if you spend alot of time with your dog.
 
Not all dogs are good with birds. My dogs are with me all day,so the amount of time spent with them has no bearing on whether they can be trusted around chickens. I know my dogs cannot be trusted and i will not take the risk of them killing any of my birds.
 
Thank you everyone. She is doing well so far. She is eating a little and drinking. I am letting drops of water with a little ACV drop on the tip of her beak and she sucks it up cleanly without making a mess. She is drinking about .5 to 1 ml per time. How much and how often should she drink? I am afraid to put a dish in front of her since she is in a sling. I don't want it to spill and have her get chilled.
 
I saw somewhere that a lady used a candle holder to hold a small cup of water at chest level for her chick. Another one for feed. Water should always be available. Do you have a rabbit water bottle? That would work too. Maybe put a dish under it so if it drips it doesn't soak everything?
 

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