How to seperate????

[HeatherTheMommy]

Ok i have the injured girl in a plastic dog crate with a metal door because that's all i have. Going to go give her some water and tuna now. Anything else i should give her? Gonna wait a day or so and see if the vent area starts looking better if not should i apply nystatin cream? I have some i had for thrush

 

[ChickenCanoe]

not sure what nystatin is . I use betadine (organic iodine) and Neosporin (or any other eye type triple antibiotic ointment.
The eye type melts at body temperature so it seeps down into the wound.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

Just came in inside from doing a quick clean of the coop, changing water, oyster shells and some bedding. Went back in the woods and loaded the wheel barrow with leaves and some fresh grass and dumped that in the run. Found an old broken rubber maid bin and dumped a 50lb bag of sand in it for their dust bathes since the whole run has been muddy all week. Need to eventually find a better bin but that works for now. The girl in the crate seems well and shes no longer bloody but not totally better. Also gave them a can of tuna and sprinkled the starter food all in the leaves for them to pick through.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

Later i will go close the coop door and let the injured girl out on the coop alone to stretch her legs and spray her wounds again with the wound spray i have. Still waiting for my blukote to arrive

 

[BeachMomma]

Sounds like you've got everything covered! Keep us updated

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

I really want to let them free range because we have a lot of land but im scared of predators. Also i dont want them out all day and not sure how to get them back in the coop mid day

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Best thing is let them out in the evening, they will want to return to the coop by dusk, you can also just let them out whenever you are there or have time, some time is better than no time.

And you will probably open the door the first time and they won't go out, and they won't go far until they feel comfortable. You can train them to come running at the sound of some treats like scratch rattling in a bucket and words like here chicken, chicken. Or you can chase them back.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

Ive had one get out before because they run to me when i enter the run. The door didnt latch and one girl gor out but i faight her. Others try to get out but i close the door in time. Im more worried about birds of prey than anything. I will likely keep the silkie girl in the run for awhilw longer whenever i decide to let them out. She is very small and i know the white color makes her more vulnerable

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've kept chickens for a long time, I've only had one killed by hawks, it was a muscovy hen that it couldn't pick up because it crawled under a nearby truck. Cover is the best protection from aerial predators. I've lost a couple to Fox and coyotes, but those were at night or early morning. It depends on where you are and how much predator saturation you have, it also goes up and down. I personally am willing to risk losing a few because they are much more mentally healthy for it.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

I need to add coverage i think. Ill post some photos of my back yard.