HEN ATTACKED BY RACCOON STILL ALIVE MISSING ENTIRE BEAK-HELP

[rhondaroberts]

My pet hen Sassy was attacked at 3:30 in the morning by what we assume to be a raccoon. I heard an awful sound and went to the back door and turned the porch light on and yelled. The coon was apparently scared away by this and we shortly there after found Sassy hiding by some pine trees. She is missing her entire beak (top and bottom sections) and her top comb or whatever you call it. She is in rough shape. We are hand feeding her with syringes, on antibiotics, etc.. Is this situation helpless. I spoke with an avian vet at WSU and she said the beak may grow back, may not. Are we delaying the inevitable or is there a chance. We love her so much, but is this selfish???

 

[eggcetra_farms]

I've heard of beaks growing back after being clipped. Not sure about when the entire beak gets ripped off though. I believe that combs can grow back to some degree as well. I'd just be sure to keep everything extremely clean. Keep up with the antibiotics.... I'm sure it's painful to look at her right now not knowing if she's going to be ok. I'd try my best to help her as long as she's able to fight. That's my opinion. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[chickenwoods]

omg,that is horrible!
I wouldnt know what to do either,
Im sorry!Is she bleeding baddly?
Missing comb,and beak i dont know if she will make it

 

[rhondaroberts]

She never really bled that badly believe it or not. In fact in the shadows it was hard to tell that there was anything wrong with her. She is looking worse now though. This happened Thursday night and last night she walked from our bathroom clear into the bedroom to be near us. Now, today she is not walking around at all. We have been giving her Pedialyte and Ensure every few hours. I just don't want her to suffer. My husband thinks we should try to keep her living until she decides to give up and that is what I would like too. I just don't want to be selfish about this. It is so hard to tell if chickens are in pain. I'm sure she has to be.

 

[eggcetra_farms]

A trauma like that is sure to take a lot of fight out of anybody. I'm not suprised that she's not up and walking around. I know I wouldn't feel right if I didn't do everything I could to save her. The "what if's" would always bother me. I don't blame you for wanting to try and save her. Again, I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Wolfpacker]

Awful. Just dont' know what to say. They're such little troopers.

 

[Bubba]

Only time will tell. Animals are tough, she might pull through and live a long happy life. You may have to feed her seperate from the others thou. I hope she lives and you take out that raccoon. Trap it or kill it!

Bubba

 

[rhondaroberts]

By the way, we have three traps set to catch the culprit. No luck last night, just one really mad cat. I'm glad I found this website, everyone else thinks that we are nuts having pet chickens to begin with and even more nuts for trying to save our hen. We have really become attached to them. We only have two, one mean rooster "Spicy" and the sweet, social "Sassy". Spicy is not taking this well he has been crowing constantly since the attack.

 

[peepsnbunnies]

I had a very sick chicken once and I fed her laying mash soaked in the poultry vitamin/electrolyte water. I mixed them together and made "soup". You could even hard boil an egg and mix the yolk in there for more protein. I made the hole in the syringe bigger so the mixture would go through. I fed her 5 or 6 times a day for a few days and then she was strong enough to peck on her own. I also feed my chickies thawed out frozen peas. You can get the little ones, maybe she would be interested in that. I would try anything soft to entice her to eat even a little. But I would keep up the hand feeding. Is the meaty part under hard part of the beak gone, or is it like a dogs toenail that gets pulled off and there is a little fleshy point left and the nail grows back? She is in my thoughts and prayers, poor little sweetie.

 

[rhondaroberts]

There is not much left of her beak at all, just a tiny sliver on the top and an even tinier one on the bottom. The vet said that if the germinal layer is damaged it may not grow back. Then we are in trouble. She loves grapes and when she was feeling better yesterday I chopped some up real fine and she tried to get them but could not. Her tongue has a little piece missing too. Now her eyes are getting goopy. Is there anything for pain that we could give her??