sonstoffie
Chirping
Background:
Some of the background information I am about to provide might seem irrelevant to this thread at first, but please bear with me because every little detail is a small puzzle piece that adds to the story. I want you to understand the circumstances within witch the attack happened. This will be quite a long post because I have at least 5 days since the day of the attack to cover.
We (me and my husband) live on a farm where we have our own fenced-in yard with an electric fence all around. On the other side of the fence is a bush and a macadamia nut plantation. We have a dog, Custos, he is a 20-month-old Belgian Malinois and we train him to the best of our ability to be obedient, calm and attentive. We also get expert assistance with his training once a week. He sleeps inside the house, and travels with us everywhere we go. We have access to the whole farm to walk, jog and explore. This is great because we can go out and burn energy! On a normal day in the week we go out early in the mornings to walk / jog and when we are back, we play ball in the yard, stimulate his brain and then Custos will be inside the house with me while I do my work (all on the computer) most of the day. I leave all the doors open so he can access the yard any time he wants to but 90% of the time he is just sleeping at my feet.
We decided that we would like chickens in our yard. We went to the pet shop in town and had a discussion with the lady who owns the shop explaining to her that we know nothing about chickens but would like to keep them in our yard to provide eggs for the household. She said the we do not need to do any preparation in advance we can just take them home, we just need to keep them safe from the dog. We acted in ignorance and bought two chickens, Frikkie (the Rooster) and Frieda (the hen) confident that we will be able to manage and keep them safe.
The characters:
Custos – The dog | Frikkie – The rooster | Frieda – The hen | Mom – My mother
Day 1:
27 January 2019
We arrived home and immediately started to prepare a den (looking at pictures on the internet I cannot really call it a coop) for Frikkie and Frieda, a place where they can be safe when Custos is out in the yard and where they can sleep secure. We cut their flight feathers as recommended by the lady at the shop and we put them in the den.
Day 2 – 4:
I decided to give them access to the yard, allowing them to go and explore. Keeping them enclosed like that all day seemed unfair. Every morning we had our normal routine with Custos of burning energy, stimulating his brain and then going back into the house. On days 2 – 4 I closed all the doors when we were back inside, then I opened the den for chickens and allowed them to explore while Custos was inside the house with me. Whenever we went outside Custos would be on his leash, under my control or tied to an extended rope and whenever we got close to the chickens, I kept his attention on me and did not allow him to pay too much attention to them. We want him to know that they are there, but they should only be background to him. All went well, and Custos did not pay much attention to them. Every day at around 17:00 Frikkie and Frieda returned to their den, I then closed the den and allowed Custos free access to the yard again. During this time my husband departed on a work trip and will only be home again on the 13th of February.
Day 5:
1 February 2019 – The day of the attack
It started out as another normal day, adapting to our new circumstances. We followed our routine just as we did the previous 4 days. Yes, everything was going smoothly but unfortunately this was the day it all went haywire…
I took a break from work and took Custos outside (using the back door), all under control. I showed him Frikkie and Frieda, we played with the ball a bit and went inside again this time using the front door. I closed the front door behind me and went back to work with Custos resting at my feet.
Around 14:00 I heard Frikkie and Frieda making joyful sounds outside the window and within seconds Custos was on his feet, like a lightning bolt he ran outside, and I heard Frikkie screaming…
I FORGOT TO CLOSE THE BACK DOOR BEHIND ME WHEN WE WENT OUTSIDE EARLIER!
I ran outside and commanded Custos to let go of Frikkie, and he did! Well, when Frikkie ran away from Custos it triggered the drive again and Custos ran and caught him a second time. This time Custos ran away from me holding on to Frikkie. I followed and when I was close enough, I commanded him to let go of Frikkie, and again he did! Luckily, I was within reach of Custos. I grabbed him by his collar and took him inside the house this time making 100% sure ALL the doors were closed. I went outside to Frikkie but as I approached him, he ran away from me through the electric fence into the bush. While all the action was going on Frieda went inside the den and hid in the corner. I closed the den to prevent her from coming out again.
I turned off the electric fence, sprinkled foul feed inside the yard next to the fence where he ran out. I felt terrible about my mistake. I failed to keep them safe. I went outside the yard into the bush and spent a couple of minutes looking for Frikkie, but I could not hear or see him, so I went back to work.
At the end of the day I went looking for him again, but still there was no sign or sound. I left the fence off, prayed that he will come back and tried to sleep but the guild kept me awake. I knew I had to deal with it, so I did. There are healthy ways to deal with guilt that turn it from a feeling you want to run a way from, to an emotion that offers opportunities. I decided to use my energy rather to have faith in Frikkie’s return.
Day 6:
Saturday - The day after the attack
Me and Custos left home early morning to run the 5km Parkrun, as we left, I opened the den for Frieda to come out and still hoping that Frikkie will come back he will then be able to go inside. Upon our return Frikkie was still not there, I restricted Custos to the house. While I was trying to figure out how the sewing machine works around 14:00 (24 hours after the attack) movement caught my eye outside the window. It was Frikkie, a miracle! He was still alive, and he returned. I immediately turned the electric fence back on, found Frieda in the garden and chased her back to the den where Frikkie was now hiding. I closed the den, relieved about Frikkie’s return.
And then it was time to look at the damage… what an awful sight it was. Tiny maggots crawling all over the wounds, hundreds of them. I had no experience (I do have now) with wounds and maggots and chickens etc. I took a picture (bad quality, not reflecting the reality and also not all the wounds) and sent Mom a message telling her about the situation and asking for her support and advise.
While Mom was Googling, I mixed salt with lukewarm water inside a spray bottle and sprayed it on the maggots and wounds hoping that it will clean out the wounds. According to Mom’s research the saltwater was a good start, salt should dehydrate and kill the maggots. I asked mom to send me a list of things I should buy in town, she had time to compile a list while I was driving there. On the list was:
· Honey - Antibacterial apply to prevent infections
· Multivitamin - To boost the immune system
· Permanganate of Potash – Mild antiseptic effective for the treatment of infected wounds
· Tea tree oil – Healing of wounds
· Coconut oil – Antibacterial properties
Back at home it seemed like the worms were less, I sprayed the wounds with saltwater again and covered all the wounds I could see with honey. I saw a video on YouTube of a chicken recovering after an attack and this chicken had a jacket on that covered the wounds (
), so I thought it would be a good idea to cover Frikkie’s wounds. It can prevent himself and Frieda from pecking the maggots in the wounds. I dipped a bandage in coconut oil and wrapped it around him and sprinkled a few drops of tea tree oil on the bandage. I left him in the den with Frieda.
Day 7:
2 Days after the attack
In the morning the maggots were still there… I felt discouraged by the sight of them. I sprayed the wounds with saltwater again, removed a few maggots with tweezers and covered everything with honey, coconut oil and tea tree oil - same as the previous day. I then had to leave to take Custos to his weekly scheduled training session.
In the afternoon the maggots were still there… And they were fatter and bigger eating away the flesh. I realised that they were most likely not only feasting on the dead flesh, but also on the living flesh. I was getting desperate, I mixed Permanganate of Potash with lukewarm water and sprayed it all over the wounds. I removed a couple of the bigger maggots with tweezers and did the same honey, coconut oil and tea tree oil treatment as before. By this time, he was no longer eating, and I assumed he was not drinking water either. I do not have any syringes, but I found an old soap dispenser that I filled with water and a re-hydrate mix and I squeezed water over his beak. He did drink a very small amount of the water.
It struck me that I had to think about Frieda’s health, I was so focused on Frikkie that I was exposing her to all the maggots. I took Frikkie and Frieda inside the guest bathroom. I removed everything from the den, cleaned it and put new grass, water and food there. I put Frieda back in the den and left Frikkie in the bathroom, “ICU”.
I took a shower and popped into ICU to see how Frikkie was doing, and what I saw made me sick. There were even more maggots than earlier the same day! It felt like they were crawling all over my body, everything started itching. Poor Frikkie was standing in the corner of the shower making squeaky sounds clearly expressing is discomfort and pain, they were ruining him. If only the maggots were gone, it would be much better, then I can treat the wounds. I took the tweezer and started to remove them, but they were just too many and they were inside the wounds where I could not reach them. I was ready to give up, I did not know what else to do. I sent Mom a picture of the new small maggots (only one wound showing the maggots, there were many more in the other wounds) and told her that I do not think Frikkie is going to survive and that I should maybe ask someone in the morning to come and assist me to put him down.
I gave Frikkie water and I got into bed ready to go to sleep. I informed my husband of my plan of putting him down in the morning, he replied: “At least you tried.”
The image of the maggots eating Frikkie’s flesh while he was still alive haunted me and kept me awake for about an hour, I was emotional, restless and stressed. I took my phone and saw that mom sent me a message:
“My daughter you must stay strong....
If you do not VIGOROUSLY treat this condition (called myasis) Frikkie WILL die.
Do you have alcohol? It should kill them. Pour the alcohol over the maggots, brush the maggots into a plastic bag or comb them out of the feathers into the bag. Use tweezers to remove them. Seal the bag completely and place it in an outside trash receptacle.”
I asked myself “Did I really try EVERYTHING I possibly could to get rid of the maggots?” I realised I had to choose, it was either he dies because of the maggots or I VIGOROUSLY get rid of them and if he still dies then I will know that I really tried everything I could within my ability.
I found a bottle of booze in the cupboard 35% alcohol and poured it into my spray bottle, I put on rubber gloves, reached for a very old towel, took a toothbrush and tweezers and I went into ICU ready for battle. It was tough… My heart ached every moment. I cut away some of the feathers, sprayed the alcohol over the maggots, and I brushed with the toothbrush until I could no longer see the maggots above the skin. By this time, it seemed like Frikkie was in shock, I put him on his side, this made it easier for me to access the wound close to his vent were the maggots were deep inside. I dug into the wound, removing every single maggot one by one. I turned him on his other side and removed all the maggots from under the skin behind his wing. It seemed like Frikkie was dying, but I decided that I will not stop until I removed every single maggot from him. I was singing to him, encouraging him to fight and survive. I was thinking about Willa Cather’s quote the whole time: “Where there is great love, there are always miracles.” When I was done, I threw almost EVERYTHING I used in a plastic bag, sealed the bag and put it outside the house. I rinsed the shower properly removing any sign of the maggots.
I put Frikkie on a clean towel, he could not even keep his head up. I put honey on the wounds, closed him with the towel and told him that I expected him to survive. I felt dirty and took a shower before getting into bed again feeling much better, knowing that now I really did everything I could. My imagination ran away with me, maggots all over the place and all over me. I was sure that Frikkie will not see the daylight, but I prayed and in my heart I was still hoping to see him alive the next morning without any maggots on him.
Day 8:
Another Miracle - The first day of recovery
My heart leaped with joy when I opened the ICU door and Frikkie moved his head in my direction! Another miracle, he survived the trauma of the previous night. It was a great relief to see him alive and there were no maggots, the wounds were clean. I knew we won the fight and that we were now on the path of recovery.
I went outside to the den to tell Frieda about the good news, but I think she already knew because she laid an egg!
The main goals for the first day of recovery were to:
· Ensure that no flies come into ICU
· Make sure Frikkie drinks water with some added vitamins and aspirin (I read that it is safe to give them a small amount diluted in water).
Every hour I went to visit Frikkie in ICU and fed him water, checked that there were no maggots on him and thanked him for fighting and staying strong. By the end of the day he was drinking by himself and even ate oats that I soaked in water, with a pinch of cayenne pepper (to improve circulation).
https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2016/12/oatmeal-for-chickens.html
It was time to dig into solutions to promote healing of the wounds. I was already using honey to prevent infection, but surely only honey is not an optimal solution for healing wounds. I believe in the power of shea butter and I always have raw unrefined shea butter in the house. I use it as a moisturiser, I mix it in my home-made deodorant, I use it on wounds and damaged skin, it works great as lip balm etc.
After doing some research on the internet I decided on the following 4 ingredients for my wound healing ointment. Although I only refer to one resource per ingredient, I did cross referencing to ensure different resources provide similar information.
· Honey
· Raw unrefined shea butter
· Turmeric
· Lavender essential oil
Honey:
“Time and again, I’ve turned to honey’s antibacterial qualities to prevent infections in my poultry flocks, and have been very successful using honey to treat traumatic wounds. In some cases, honey’s antibacterial properties and consistency are more beneficial than over-the-counter medications approved by the FDA.”
https://countrysidenetwork.com/dail...perties-to-treat-traumatic-injury-in-poultry/
Raw unrefined shea butter:
“Antioxidant – You know that shea butter contains vitamin E. And that’s in the form of tocopherol and tocotrienols. These are powerful antioxidants that protect skin cells from free radical activity. This helps heal the wound faster.
Anti-bacterial – Shea butter will form a barrier over the wound and fight off any germs that want entry.
Soothing – Shea butter is incredibly soothing. For instant relief from a throbbing and inflamed wound, lightly smear some shea butter on it.”
https://beautymunsta.com/shea-butter-wound-healing-use/
Turmeric:
“Applied topically, turmeric is a natural antiseptic, offering antibacterial properties, which also speeds healing and helps repair damaged skin. Making a salve of turmeric and honey—another natural wound healer I always keep in my chicken first-aid kit—could be beneficial when applied to a chicken’s injuries from pecking, a predator attack, a cut or infection.”
https://www.hobbyfarms.com/is-turmeric-good-for-chickens-3/
Lavender:
“Lavender essential oil has very powerful antiseptic properties. Applying it to wounds can not only increase cell growth causing the wound to heal faster, but it also decreases the appearance of scars. The oils anti-microbial action protects scrapes and wounds from infection, while allowing them to heal.”
http://www.centralcoastlavender.com/healing-power-of-lavender/
I mixed my ointment with the above 4 ingredients and I warmed it using the double boiler method to give it a runny consistency so that I can pour it over the wounds without having to touch the wounds and so that it can go deeper into the wounds.
I followed my instinct to decide on a ratio:
· ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
· 2 tablespoons shea butter
· 1 tablespoon honey
· 5 drops lavender essential oil
I applied the ointment to Frikkie’s wounds, he is a bit yellowish now due to the turmeric. It is very easy to apply and runs into cracks and cuts easily. I also like the idea that is is all natural, it cannot harm him if swallowed.
When I got into bed at the end of this day, I felt good and excited about Frikkie’s recovery, and I enjoyed a good night’s rest.
Day 9:
The second day of recovery
Frikkie was stronger than the previous day he stood up and walked around the bathroom and he even crowed! I was pleased to hear this, it was the first time since the attack. He is having difficulty to walk due to the injury under his wing. Every time he extends his leg the skin pulls.
The ointment I applied created a 'sealant' layer on top of the skin and the excess ointment is stuck in his feathers. He was still eating oats and drinking lots of water. At the end of this day, I warmed the wound healing ointment and added it to his wounds again.
The wound at the back close to his vent does not look good at all. I assume the black colour is due to dead flesh and the Permanganate op Potash mixture I sprayed on, but I do not know. There is actually a hole there.
Another successful day, I was very proud of Frikkie for being so strong!
Day 10:
The third day of recovery
Frikkie is still in ICU, carefully monitored to make sure he eats and drinks water. Ointment will be applied to the wounds again tonight.
Some of the background information I am about to provide might seem irrelevant to this thread at first, but please bear with me because every little detail is a small puzzle piece that adds to the story. I want you to understand the circumstances within witch the attack happened. This will be quite a long post because I have at least 5 days since the day of the attack to cover.
We (me and my husband) live on a farm where we have our own fenced-in yard with an electric fence all around. On the other side of the fence is a bush and a macadamia nut plantation. We have a dog, Custos, he is a 20-month-old Belgian Malinois and we train him to the best of our ability to be obedient, calm and attentive. We also get expert assistance with his training once a week. He sleeps inside the house, and travels with us everywhere we go. We have access to the whole farm to walk, jog and explore. This is great because we can go out and burn energy! On a normal day in the week we go out early in the mornings to walk / jog and when we are back, we play ball in the yard, stimulate his brain and then Custos will be inside the house with me while I do my work (all on the computer) most of the day. I leave all the doors open so he can access the yard any time he wants to but 90% of the time he is just sleeping at my feet.
We decided that we would like chickens in our yard. We went to the pet shop in town and had a discussion with the lady who owns the shop explaining to her that we know nothing about chickens but would like to keep them in our yard to provide eggs for the household. She said the we do not need to do any preparation in advance we can just take them home, we just need to keep them safe from the dog. We acted in ignorance and bought two chickens, Frikkie (the Rooster) and Frieda (the hen) confident that we will be able to manage and keep them safe.
The characters:
Custos – The dog | Frikkie – The rooster | Frieda – The hen | Mom – My mother
Day 1:
27 January 2019
We arrived home and immediately started to prepare a den (looking at pictures on the internet I cannot really call it a coop) for Frikkie and Frieda, a place where they can be safe when Custos is out in the yard and where they can sleep secure. We cut their flight feathers as recommended by the lady at the shop and we put them in the den.
Day 2 – 4:
I decided to give them access to the yard, allowing them to go and explore. Keeping them enclosed like that all day seemed unfair. Every morning we had our normal routine with Custos of burning energy, stimulating his brain and then going back into the house. On days 2 – 4 I closed all the doors when we were back inside, then I opened the den for chickens and allowed them to explore while Custos was inside the house with me. Whenever we went outside Custos would be on his leash, under my control or tied to an extended rope and whenever we got close to the chickens, I kept his attention on me and did not allow him to pay too much attention to them. We want him to know that they are there, but they should only be background to him. All went well, and Custos did not pay much attention to them. Every day at around 17:00 Frikkie and Frieda returned to their den, I then closed the den and allowed Custos free access to the yard again. During this time my husband departed on a work trip and will only be home again on the 13th of February.
Day 5:
1 February 2019 – The day of the attack
It started out as another normal day, adapting to our new circumstances. We followed our routine just as we did the previous 4 days. Yes, everything was going smoothly but unfortunately this was the day it all went haywire…
I took a break from work and took Custos outside (using the back door), all under control. I showed him Frikkie and Frieda, we played with the ball a bit and went inside again this time using the front door. I closed the front door behind me and went back to work with Custos resting at my feet.
Around 14:00 I heard Frikkie and Frieda making joyful sounds outside the window and within seconds Custos was on his feet, like a lightning bolt he ran outside, and I heard Frikkie screaming…
I FORGOT TO CLOSE THE BACK DOOR BEHIND ME WHEN WE WENT OUTSIDE EARLIER!
I ran outside and commanded Custos to let go of Frikkie, and he did! Well, when Frikkie ran away from Custos it triggered the drive again and Custos ran and caught him a second time. This time Custos ran away from me holding on to Frikkie. I followed and when I was close enough, I commanded him to let go of Frikkie, and again he did! Luckily, I was within reach of Custos. I grabbed him by his collar and took him inside the house this time making 100% sure ALL the doors were closed. I went outside to Frikkie but as I approached him, he ran away from me through the electric fence into the bush. While all the action was going on Frieda went inside the den and hid in the corner. I closed the den to prevent her from coming out again.
I turned off the electric fence, sprinkled foul feed inside the yard next to the fence where he ran out. I felt terrible about my mistake. I failed to keep them safe. I went outside the yard into the bush and spent a couple of minutes looking for Frikkie, but I could not hear or see him, so I went back to work.
At the end of the day I went looking for him again, but still there was no sign or sound. I left the fence off, prayed that he will come back and tried to sleep but the guild kept me awake. I knew I had to deal with it, so I did. There are healthy ways to deal with guilt that turn it from a feeling you want to run a way from, to an emotion that offers opportunities. I decided to use my energy rather to have faith in Frikkie’s return.
Day 6:
Saturday - The day after the attack
Me and Custos left home early morning to run the 5km Parkrun, as we left, I opened the den for Frieda to come out and still hoping that Frikkie will come back he will then be able to go inside. Upon our return Frikkie was still not there, I restricted Custos to the house. While I was trying to figure out how the sewing machine works around 14:00 (24 hours after the attack) movement caught my eye outside the window. It was Frikkie, a miracle! He was still alive, and he returned. I immediately turned the electric fence back on, found Frieda in the garden and chased her back to the den where Frikkie was now hiding. I closed the den, relieved about Frikkie’s return.
And then it was time to look at the damage… what an awful sight it was. Tiny maggots crawling all over the wounds, hundreds of them. I had no experience (I do have now) with wounds and maggots and chickens etc. I took a picture (bad quality, not reflecting the reality and also not all the wounds) and sent Mom a message telling her about the situation and asking for her support and advise.
While Mom was Googling, I mixed salt with lukewarm water inside a spray bottle and sprayed it on the maggots and wounds hoping that it will clean out the wounds. According to Mom’s research the saltwater was a good start, salt should dehydrate and kill the maggots. I asked mom to send me a list of things I should buy in town, she had time to compile a list while I was driving there. On the list was:
· Honey - Antibacterial apply to prevent infections
· Multivitamin - To boost the immune system
· Permanganate of Potash – Mild antiseptic effective for the treatment of infected wounds
· Tea tree oil – Healing of wounds
· Coconut oil – Antibacterial properties
Back at home it seemed like the worms were less, I sprayed the wounds with saltwater again and covered all the wounds I could see with honey. I saw a video on YouTube of a chicken recovering after an attack and this chicken had a jacket on that covered the wounds (
Day 7:
2 Days after the attack
In the morning the maggots were still there… I felt discouraged by the sight of them. I sprayed the wounds with saltwater again, removed a few maggots with tweezers and covered everything with honey, coconut oil and tea tree oil - same as the previous day. I then had to leave to take Custos to his weekly scheduled training session.
In the afternoon the maggots were still there… And they were fatter and bigger eating away the flesh. I realised that they were most likely not only feasting on the dead flesh, but also on the living flesh. I was getting desperate, I mixed Permanganate of Potash with lukewarm water and sprayed it all over the wounds. I removed a couple of the bigger maggots with tweezers and did the same honey, coconut oil and tea tree oil treatment as before. By this time, he was no longer eating, and I assumed he was not drinking water either. I do not have any syringes, but I found an old soap dispenser that I filled with water and a re-hydrate mix and I squeezed water over his beak. He did drink a very small amount of the water.
It struck me that I had to think about Frieda’s health, I was so focused on Frikkie that I was exposing her to all the maggots. I took Frikkie and Frieda inside the guest bathroom. I removed everything from the den, cleaned it and put new grass, water and food there. I put Frieda back in the den and left Frikkie in the bathroom, “ICU”.
I took a shower and popped into ICU to see how Frikkie was doing, and what I saw made me sick. There were even more maggots than earlier the same day! It felt like they were crawling all over my body, everything started itching. Poor Frikkie was standing in the corner of the shower making squeaky sounds clearly expressing is discomfort and pain, they were ruining him. If only the maggots were gone, it would be much better, then I can treat the wounds. I took the tweezer and started to remove them, but they were just too many and they were inside the wounds where I could not reach them. I was ready to give up, I did not know what else to do. I sent Mom a picture of the new small maggots (only one wound showing the maggots, there were many more in the other wounds) and told her that I do not think Frikkie is going to survive and that I should maybe ask someone in the morning to come and assist me to put him down.
I gave Frikkie water and I got into bed ready to go to sleep. I informed my husband of my plan of putting him down in the morning, he replied: “At least you tried.”
The image of the maggots eating Frikkie’s flesh while he was still alive haunted me and kept me awake for about an hour, I was emotional, restless and stressed. I took my phone and saw that mom sent me a message:
“My daughter you must stay strong....
If you do not VIGOROUSLY treat this condition (called myasis) Frikkie WILL die.
Do you have alcohol? It should kill them. Pour the alcohol over the maggots, brush the maggots into a plastic bag or comb them out of the feathers into the bag. Use tweezers to remove them. Seal the bag completely and place it in an outside trash receptacle.”
I asked myself “Did I really try EVERYTHING I possibly could to get rid of the maggots?” I realised I had to choose, it was either he dies because of the maggots or I VIGOROUSLY get rid of them and if he still dies then I will know that I really tried everything I could within my ability.
I found a bottle of booze in the cupboard 35% alcohol and poured it into my spray bottle, I put on rubber gloves, reached for a very old towel, took a toothbrush and tweezers and I went into ICU ready for battle. It was tough… My heart ached every moment. I cut away some of the feathers, sprayed the alcohol over the maggots, and I brushed with the toothbrush until I could no longer see the maggots above the skin. By this time, it seemed like Frikkie was in shock, I put him on his side, this made it easier for me to access the wound close to his vent were the maggots were deep inside. I dug into the wound, removing every single maggot one by one. I turned him on his other side and removed all the maggots from under the skin behind his wing. It seemed like Frikkie was dying, but I decided that I will not stop until I removed every single maggot from him. I was singing to him, encouraging him to fight and survive. I was thinking about Willa Cather’s quote the whole time: “Where there is great love, there are always miracles.” When I was done, I threw almost EVERYTHING I used in a plastic bag, sealed the bag and put it outside the house. I rinsed the shower properly removing any sign of the maggots.
I put Frikkie on a clean towel, he could not even keep his head up. I put honey on the wounds, closed him with the towel and told him that I expected him to survive. I felt dirty and took a shower before getting into bed again feeling much better, knowing that now I really did everything I could. My imagination ran away with me, maggots all over the place and all over me. I was sure that Frikkie will not see the daylight, but I prayed and in my heart I was still hoping to see him alive the next morning without any maggots on him.
Day 8:
Another Miracle - The first day of recovery
My heart leaped with joy when I opened the ICU door and Frikkie moved his head in my direction! Another miracle, he survived the trauma of the previous night. It was a great relief to see him alive and there were no maggots, the wounds were clean. I knew we won the fight and that we were now on the path of recovery.
I went outside to the den to tell Frieda about the good news, but I think she already knew because she laid an egg!
The main goals for the first day of recovery were to:
· Ensure that no flies come into ICU
· Make sure Frikkie drinks water with some added vitamins and aspirin (I read that it is safe to give them a small amount diluted in water).
Every hour I went to visit Frikkie in ICU and fed him water, checked that there were no maggots on him and thanked him for fighting and staying strong. By the end of the day he was drinking by himself and even ate oats that I soaked in water, with a pinch of cayenne pepper (to improve circulation).
https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2016/12/oatmeal-for-chickens.html
It was time to dig into solutions to promote healing of the wounds. I was already using honey to prevent infection, but surely only honey is not an optimal solution for healing wounds. I believe in the power of shea butter and I always have raw unrefined shea butter in the house. I use it as a moisturiser, I mix it in my home-made deodorant, I use it on wounds and damaged skin, it works great as lip balm etc.
After doing some research on the internet I decided on the following 4 ingredients for my wound healing ointment. Although I only refer to one resource per ingredient, I did cross referencing to ensure different resources provide similar information.
· Honey
· Raw unrefined shea butter
· Turmeric
· Lavender essential oil
Honey:
“Time and again, I’ve turned to honey’s antibacterial qualities to prevent infections in my poultry flocks, and have been very successful using honey to treat traumatic wounds. In some cases, honey’s antibacterial properties and consistency are more beneficial than over-the-counter medications approved by the FDA.”
https://countrysidenetwork.com/dail...perties-to-treat-traumatic-injury-in-poultry/
Raw unrefined shea butter:
“Antioxidant – You know that shea butter contains vitamin E. And that’s in the form of tocopherol and tocotrienols. These are powerful antioxidants that protect skin cells from free radical activity. This helps heal the wound faster.
Anti-bacterial – Shea butter will form a barrier over the wound and fight off any germs that want entry.
Soothing – Shea butter is incredibly soothing. For instant relief from a throbbing and inflamed wound, lightly smear some shea butter on it.”
https://beautymunsta.com/shea-butter-wound-healing-use/
Turmeric:
“Applied topically, turmeric is a natural antiseptic, offering antibacterial properties, which also speeds healing and helps repair damaged skin. Making a salve of turmeric and honey—another natural wound healer I always keep in my chicken first-aid kit—could be beneficial when applied to a chicken’s injuries from pecking, a predator attack, a cut or infection.”
https://www.hobbyfarms.com/is-turmeric-good-for-chickens-3/
Lavender:
“Lavender essential oil has very powerful antiseptic properties. Applying it to wounds can not only increase cell growth causing the wound to heal faster, but it also decreases the appearance of scars. The oils anti-microbial action protects scrapes and wounds from infection, while allowing them to heal.”
http://www.centralcoastlavender.com/healing-power-of-lavender/
I mixed my ointment with the above 4 ingredients and I warmed it using the double boiler method to give it a runny consistency so that I can pour it over the wounds without having to touch the wounds and so that it can go deeper into the wounds.
I followed my instinct to decide on a ratio:
· ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
· 2 tablespoons shea butter
· 1 tablespoon honey
· 5 drops lavender essential oil
I applied the ointment to Frikkie’s wounds, he is a bit yellowish now due to the turmeric. It is very easy to apply and runs into cracks and cuts easily. I also like the idea that is is all natural, it cannot harm him if swallowed.
When I got into bed at the end of this day, I felt good and excited about Frikkie’s recovery, and I enjoyed a good night’s rest.
Day 9:
The second day of recovery
Frikkie was stronger than the previous day he stood up and walked around the bathroom and he even crowed! I was pleased to hear this, it was the first time since the attack. He is having difficulty to walk due to the injury under his wing. Every time he extends his leg the skin pulls.
The ointment I applied created a 'sealant' layer on top of the skin and the excess ointment is stuck in his feathers. He was still eating oats and drinking lots of water. At the end of this day, I warmed the wound healing ointment and added it to his wounds again.
The wound at the back close to his vent does not look good at all. I assume the black colour is due to dead flesh and the Permanganate op Potash mixture I sprayed on, but I do not know. There is actually a hole there.
Another successful day, I was very proud of Frikkie for being so strong!
Day 10:
The third day of recovery
Frikkie is still in ICU, carefully monitored to make sure he eats and drinks water. Ointment will be applied to the wounds again tonight.
Definitely try manuka honey, it works wonders. Don't be discouraged if the wound turns weird colors, it's normal and will pass. You're doing GREAT chicken doctoring and I hope Frikkie recovers soon!
