Beginning to hate irresponsible owners-advice

packmomma

Songster
10 Years
Mar 10, 2009
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Argos, IN
Ok so earlier in preditors I ranted about dogs coming into my yard and killing my chickens. Than yesterday I get a call from my friend saying her dog has a chicken, its still alive, if I want it come get it or its dead. Um ok. I asked her if it looked really bad because before she had called me to come get a chicken and it was too far gone to save. She's like I dont know, I'm not the chicken lady, come get it now or I'll let the dog have it. So I drive over there and it was trying to do a very good job of hiding. it let me pick it up and put it in my carrier and drive it home. I set up my bigger dog crate and got her all settled in. She wasnt very thrilled me with handling her but I did manage to see a not so deep puncture wound and mostly missing feathers. I put triple antibiotic on the punture wound but would like to give her some sort of antibiotic. What would you suggest? I would like something I can put in water because today she is feeling a little more fiesty and when I am removing the poop from her cage she is moving away from me. Its sad to say but I think she is going to lay an egg too today. She's acting all weird like that. I cant imagine it will be normal. If anyone could give me a good antibiotic to use I'd appreciate it. Our stores really dont carry anything like that. At least not that I can dose down. I will probably have to have it shipped here. Just for your info she is a rather small black austrolorp.
 
if the wounds not that bad or infected I would thinlk that cleaning it out with warm water and peroxide mixture, 1/2 and 1/2 then apply a topical antibiotic without pain reliever in it would be fine. I believe most feed stores carry antibiotics for chickens. keep her separated from her flock mates until she heals up, you can give her some electrolyte solution in her water to help her out, good luck, she should be fine with some care
 
What you are doing sounds fine. Chickens rarely need antibiotics. Keep the wound washed and clean and use the neosporin. She might seem a little 'down' for a few days because she might be in shock. Who wouldn't be. Chased and bitten by a dog, a big bad human puts you in a cage and brings you to an unfamiliar place. Because of the shock don't be surprised if she stops laying for a few weeks. Again normal.

Give her some treats like eggs and such and of course food. The food she is used to is probably different than the food you have so it might take a while for her to start eating. That's where the treats come in. Especially cut up grapes. Nourishment and water in them.

She almost sound like she is afraid of you. I wonder if her previous owners weren't the best if the word if you know what I mean.

Nice rescue. I'm sure she will be very happy with you.
 
I agree with the others. No need for antibiotics given internally...just keep using the triple antibiotic ointment and she'll recover nicely (sounds like she already is.)
 
Thanks for the advice. She is a little scared of me, some people just have chickens, I have pet chickens lol. Big difference. The punture wound in not very big but I'm just concerned there are others I dont see. I will look her over again later today. I have given her chick food for now, I figured the added nutrients couldnt hurt, also have some oyster shell in there and water. She is drinking lots of water and eating as normal as to be expected. I am probably going to put some asprin her water only because she is limping so I think the dog must have chomped on her leg a bit. Poor thing she wanted to scratch her head and couldnt with that leg. I thought she was going to lay an egg but she hasnt yet. Just acting weird, standing up, sitting down, pecking while sitting ...but I think that is just her leg bothering her. I am constantly over by her crate asking her if she is ok and she answers back with a little noise. lol She is just so cute. I"m afraid to wash her but honestly she smells like she lived with horses!! phewwwy I dont think her owners gave her any scraps either because my chickens wont pass up popcorn and I had a few pieces I threw in. She looked at them like what is that! I'll try eggs tonight but honestly I'll be suprised if she even eats them. If she continues to do well and starts feathering back up (her butt is all gone) then I'll put her in my "chick" area in the coop. It has its own door and pen to outside. That way if she wants to go out she can, plus she can talk to the other chickens and see them, but it will be at least 2 more weeks the way she looks.
 
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My chickens are very, very friendly with me (in my lap, follow me around, come running when they hear my voice). With a stranger they are more reserved and some people - they flat run from.


After a dog attack and being picked up by a stranger.................it might take this hen a couple days to settle down and not think everything is out to get her. Does not mean that her previous owners "weren't the best if the word if you know what I mean".



Thank you packmomma for taking this poor bird in.


Was this injured chicken - your friends chicken, the friend whose dog attacked it - or is this chicken someone else's chicken that the friend's dog attacked and brought home?
 
We dont know who owns her. This is the 4th chicken the dog has brought home. 2 were already dead, 1 I brought home but when I was cleaning the wound with peroxide it got inside her cavity and affected the lungs. She died like 5 minutes after I cleaned it. So when I got the call about this one I was skeptical but she is in much better shape. Its my friends dog, she "doesnt want to tie it up" but she doesnt understand how traumatic it is for an owner to have a dog come into their yard and eat their pets. She told me today she is going to try to give the dog away to her mom.

She squirmed a bit when I took a look at the wound. It still looks gross but not infected. She allowed me to re-apply antiboitic ointment but didnt like it cause I"m sure it hurts. I also gave her tylan, she tried..really she did but it must taste awful. I"m gonna let her rest for a while again and then tonight I'm gonna make her some scrambled eggs with some vegetable puree inside. That should perk her up some. She allows me to pet her under her beak and still "talks" to me when I ask her if she is ok. I really hope she makes it. Maybe this is God's way of giving me a chicken after another neighbors dog ate my fav chicken Baby. I miss her so.
 
I dont have pet chickens. wash their feet,check vents on a regular basis,check wings and body for mites and lice.Regular husbandry.If I want a chicken-pet,its got to warm up to me.Like last year when I had topsey II (rip) she would sit on my lap. Jeckle is almost a pet chicken,but BigRed (black sex link) is warming up more.I wouldnt mind it if a chicken got the gumption to jump on my lap while I was in the coop. I wouldnt discourage it at all.
love.gif


But for the mostpart-their livestock. (some cases excluded).
 
Your friend doesn't sound very responsible or very nice at all that she would allow her dog to roam free like that and do damage to other people's animals. I can see an accident happening once but you say it's been multiple times? Not right at all IMO.

Hope you are able to save this one. And thanks for doing so. If it were me, I might take the hen to the vet and hand your friend the bill, maybe she'd tie her dog up then. Guess she wouldn't be a friend anymore if you did this. But sounds to me like maybe she isn't a good friend anyway.


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