Hello,
This is my first post and I could use your help immensely. We have been raising baby chicks and yesterday, the chicks (about 4-months-old) were in a pen in our grass and I went inside for a minute only to look out the window to check on them and saw a massive red-tailed hawk attacking these poor chicks. We lost 6 totally and we have one that has multiple talon injuries under her wings (none appeared to affect her organs, but they when through the skin): one on her back and one by her ear. There was no active bleeding at the time we cleaned the wounds. We cleaned and irrigated the injuries with saline, trimmed feathers around the injuries and used dermabond to close the wounds. We got electrolyte water and are giving it to her with a syringe. She survived the night on a warm heating pad in a towel, but is not interested in food and only takes water when given a bit at a time by syringe.
She is very sleepy and will protest with chirps when she is over me giving her water. She sometimes has her beak open and breathes faster even when I take the towel off of her. It's hard to tell if she has pain or is cold or hot, etc. We do have powdered capsules amoxicillin and cephalexin for humans that we are wondering if we could open and use tiny amount in her water? Nobody is open today for the holiday, so absent that, we aren't sure what to do. She is a tough little chick and hanging in there. I just would love help figuring out how to help give her the best chance to survive.
This is my first post and I could use your help immensely. We have been raising baby chicks and yesterday, the chicks (about 4-months-old) were in a pen in our grass and I went inside for a minute only to look out the window to check on them and saw a massive red-tailed hawk attacking these poor chicks. We lost 6 totally and we have one that has multiple talon injuries under her wings (none appeared to affect her organs, but they when through the skin): one on her back and one by her ear. There was no active bleeding at the time we cleaned the wounds. We cleaned and irrigated the injuries with saline, trimmed feathers around the injuries and used dermabond to close the wounds. We got electrolyte water and are giving it to her with a syringe. She survived the night on a warm heating pad in a towel, but is not interested in food and only takes water when given a bit at a time by syringe.
She is very sleepy and will protest with chirps when she is over me giving her water. She sometimes has her beak open and breathes faster even when I take the towel off of her. It's hard to tell if she has pain or is cold or hot, etc. We do have powdered capsules amoxicillin and cephalexin for humans that we are wondering if we could open and use tiny amount in her water? Nobody is open today for the holiday, so absent that, we aren't sure what to do. She is a tough little chick and hanging in there. I just would love help figuring out how to help give her the best chance to survive.
