- Dec 15, 2008
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We heard alarmed clucking from our chickens late last night and being as we're rural, my husband went straight out with flashlight and big ole stick.
A raccoon had managed to bust into the coop and was trying to drag away one of the chickens.
Raccoon was chased off, his/her chicken dinner plans thwarted, and we did a temporary repair to the bad spot the door had developed that allowed the critter entry.
The chicken did not seem badly injured. She settled down fairly quickly, and although we could see some blood where the raccoon had bitten her to drag her, we did not want to upset her further. Understand, this particular chicken is very skittish and we didn't want her freaking out and flapping her wings and making the whole thing worse. Given that the bleeding was visibly stopping and that she made herself comfortable and settled down to go back to sleep in a normal manner (as opposed to half-collapsing due to injury/pain,) we let things be for the night.
This morning, she was eager to go out with the rest of the flock, is bright-eyed and getting around just fine if slowly. The wound is clean and has sealed up, and she is eating and drinking and foraging. We're keeping a good eye on her and if she seems to be getting overtired or stressed, we'll confine her in the over-sized cat carrier we use when we need to keep one of our girls from running around too much.
I think this particular story is going to have a happy ending, but what symptoms should I watch for that would indicate that she might be developing an infection or other problem?
A raccoon had managed to bust into the coop and was trying to drag away one of the chickens.
Raccoon was chased off, his/her chicken dinner plans thwarted, and we did a temporary repair to the bad spot the door had developed that allowed the critter entry.
The chicken did not seem badly injured. She settled down fairly quickly, and although we could see some blood where the raccoon had bitten her to drag her, we did not want to upset her further. Understand, this particular chicken is very skittish and we didn't want her freaking out and flapping her wings and making the whole thing worse. Given that the bleeding was visibly stopping and that she made herself comfortable and settled down to go back to sleep in a normal manner (as opposed to half-collapsing due to injury/pain,) we let things be for the night.
This morning, she was eager to go out with the rest of the flock, is bright-eyed and getting around just fine if slowly. The wound is clean and has sealed up, and she is eating and drinking and foraging. We're keeping a good eye on her and if she seems to be getting overtired or stressed, we'll confine her in the over-sized cat carrier we use when we need to keep one of our girls from running around too much.
I think this particular story is going to have a happy ending, but what symptoms should I watch for that would indicate that she might be developing an infection or other problem?
