Bad leg wound turning black and scaly leg mites

[darlingdarla]

Copperhead snake bites are known to have necrotic effect causing severe damage to the blood vessels etc., so the skin peeling off would be normal :

View attachment 2761182

http://copperhead-snake.com/

The possibility crossed my mind, I was obsessed with snakes as a teenager. I would go out and look for them and fish them out of pool pumps, I used to beg my father not to kill them.
I've never had a copperhead so close to the house, they usually stay back in the woods and the birds are confined higher up. I haven't seen one in years as my neighborhood has gotten more developed, same goes for other snakes and the Box Turtles are gone all together.
But I do agree her injuries are consistent with copperhead venom and perhaps the damage from the mites concealed any puncture wounds to speak of. I'll give my coop and run a once over to be sure there's none around.

 

[CluckerFamily]

That does look bad, I am so sorry.

 

[tripletfeb]

@Wyorp Rock

 

[BantyChooks]

It doesn't look better. This will be the first bird I've lost in my five years of doing this.
I still don't know what I am going to do but what would be the best way to euthanize? I really really don't want to hurt her, and like I said there's no vet I could take her to. I'd prefer to bury her in one piece.

Cervical dislocation leaves a clean corpse and requires no tools. So sorry you're facing this decision.

 

[Birdie mom]

I agree with @BantyChooks, but if your nervous about having to do it with your bare hands, you could always use a gun. I am so sorry that we have to discuss this

 

[Birdie mom]

There is another post on here about a chicken named Matilda, she had Frost bite on both of her feet. She completely lost 1 foot and a couple toes on the other but recovered and lives a full healthy life. It's your choice but I wouldn't give up quite yet

I don't think frost bite and infections are quite the same. An infection will spread through her bloodstream towards her heart (I speak from experience), as opposed to frost bite with only kills the frozen tissue.

I hope that I am wrong, but I don't think this can heal itself.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I don't think frost bite and infections are quite the same. An infection will spread through her bloodstream towards her heart (I speak from experience), as opposed to frost bite with only kills the frozen tissue.

I hope that I am wrong, but I don't think this can heal itself.

I agree with you.

 

[LaFleche]

I think so too, no vet available to me unfortunately I have searched for one. I could attempt an amputation, I've seen them done, but I wonder if it's more humane to euthanize.
Do you know of an antibiotic that would help her? I've only used Tylan 50 before but my understanding is that is for respiratory infections.
I'm going to the feed store today to get an antibiotic and planning to do whatever I need to do tomorrow.

That's what I would do.

 

[darlingdarla]

Maybe someone could help me understand what happened?
I've never had mites get so bad so fast, she was the worst off to begin with but no one else got anywhere near her level. When I soaked her feet her skin peeled off like a glove, leaving them raw. I wrapped her whole foot and legs with triple antibiotic ointment. I feel like there must have been a bacterial infection in her skin in addition to the mites. I've never heard of a chickens skin just sloughing off like this.

 

[Birdie mom]

She might have got bitten by some venomous animal (snake, scorpions, spider) or she might have ingested something poisonous like ergot or similar.

I hadn't thought ab that...