Brawl in the hen house.. hen down.. but not out..advice wanted ..

[Kerry heatherington]

Weasels live in all 48 states. And you are not likely to ever see one, but you will see the death they leave behind if they can get into your coop. A weasel can squeeze through any opening you could push a quarter through. And they can climb. Their favorite place to attack is the neck. And they will be back for more.

I don't think we have weasels up here, skunks racoons and the like.I was thinking a claw on her neck when getting stepped on. She has had her skin ripped off before, seems to happen easily. All the other girls looked like they were sprayed with blood and then shaken up inside a pillow case.. lol one has the end of her wing kinda rubbed off . they had molted just a bit ago so they are a little scriffy looking to start with. I see no bite like marks in the wound, no flesh appears to be missing. the side of her head got a good battering, I think maybe she took a beak to the ear, its still all covered in red. At first i could get a good look at stuff, but now she is a bit touchy when i try to get a close look. i covered all the openings in the coop. Its weird because my 2 boyz were sleeping outside andwere fine,didn't even boltto safe spots like they have done a couple times before when there was a distubance.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Do you have any peroxide? You could dilute it to use on the wound. Or make a saline solution - there are ratios you want to adhere to.
I'm not saying to do this, but vetericyn is a dilution of bleach and another ingredient and water. I would wonder if there isn't a diy for it on the web or something similar for a wound wash.
Sorry to hear about this. I am pretty new to chickens but have been amazed by the recoveries they make.

 

[Kerry heatherington]

My chicken care kit consists of local raw honey (heals all wounds, even horrific wounds like what you've described), epsom salts, oregano oil, turmeric, goldenseal, homeopathic remedies, and protein sources like canned unsalted salmon and cooked eggs.

That's it.

From what I can see, the wound seems pretty serious. It's shocking to me that teeny vicious creatures that look like the cutest Disney characters can squeeze in through the tiniest of openings and wreak havoc on chickens.

If you're able to keep her inside for a good long while, I would create a warm epsom salt bath and flush her neck wounds. You can put her in the kitchen sink and make the solution is a pot so you don't have to actually do a full bath.

You can epsom salts at most grocery stores. If you don't have any local stores, you can flush the wounds with a homemade saline solution. The directions are online. Just boil water for several minutes and then add some salt. Salt in wounds isn't comfy, but I've used it on myself as a saltine solution and never noticed any discomfort.

Make sure you don't hear any body cavity punctures. Chickens have weird air sac things and contraptions I still haven't figured out. You'll hear a soft sucking sound when she breathes if something air related has been punctured. If you do hear something, just use a washcloth as a compress and dip it in the salt solution.

Once you see the wounds, trim the feathers back to fully expose them. There are different approaches to healing her wounds, but one I've found to be exceptionally powerful is raw unpasteurized honey. It's sticky and drips, but honey is water soluble, so you'll be able to wash it off when you feel the need. Coat the wounds with a butter knife and make sure they stay coated and don't dry out.

I'm not sure she can survive this, but as long as you keep her warm and comfortable, give her two or three days for observation. And please keep us posted on any changes.

Awsome I have all that, wrong honey but I can get some, we have a few honey farmers out her . I was hesatant to bath her, used a wet clothto clean her. I am worried about the possible thrashing about she may do . Iguess a squirt bottle or some such.I am gonna try that in a couple hrs..

 

[Kerry heatherington]

Do you have any peroxide? You could dilute it to use on the wound. Or make a saline solution - there are ratios you want to adhere to.
I'm not saying to do this, but vetericyn is a dilution of bleach and another ingredient and water. I would wonder if there isn't a diy for it on the web or something similar for a wound wash.
Sorry to hear about this. I am pretty new to chickens but have been amazed by the recoveries they make.

yep .. I put some polysporin on her comb.the open shoulder and neck parts. i been just watching to see what gives. They were washed, I been just making sure they dont get stinky... Some great advice here. She gonna get some luving care this afternoon..

 

[junebuggena]

Long tailed weasels, black footed ferrets, and mink are all pretty common in Saskatchewan. You may even get the occasional marten or fisher.

 

[lazy gardener]

Yeah, you have weasels there:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_weasel

 

[Hamiam]

My coop and area where the chickens live. It aint much but its mine and I actually built it all. Which isn't saying much

I see you live in Canada. This must be a pic you took during the summer time. I figure you've got snow now. Looks like you did a good job. We used a similar design for our winter coop here in Texas.

 

[Sunshine Flock]

I was totally new to treating chickens when my rooster was attacked by a coyote. But I was prepared to treat the wounds with honey and had a small jar of Manuka honey on hand. Raw unpasteurized honey is powerful, too.

Henry's wounds were deep, disturbing and extensive. I was ready to put him down if he showed signs of decline. There were some wobbly moments where I was uncertain what was happening to him, but every day he showed signs of strength, and the wounds were healing quickly.

Do clear cut those feathers so you can better assess her wounds. As for bathing, hold her wings firmly to her sides and once she's in the sink or tub, place one hand on her back and one on her chest. That sounds like four hands, but I mean move your hands to the new positions. Doing this helped stabilize Henry and made him relax more. He'd get wiggly around the ten minute mark, so I always tried to second guess him and pull him out before the mad crazy wing flapping happens.

Even a few minutes in an epsom salt bath is worth the effort.

 

[Kerry heatherington]

Wow .. new critters to watch out for. lol only been in thesticks fer 5years. learn a thing a day. Ethel was not real happy with the washing, I did it in stages as she was getting a bit paniced by being held still. I got er done, just did it on the kitchen floor with some cloths and jugs of warm water. the wounds are clean her feathers... no so much . lol. she did eat some mush made from her feed. she was a bit wobbly as I was trying to clean her ear, did not groove to that at all heh heh. Cant get decent pics , but it looks like no real cuts or gashes just a dehiding. she has been up and wandering about the house fer the last hour. That in itself is a super improvement. he may have to become a house chicken fer the winter. I have a dog kennell with a bottom she can hang in. this will be interesting lol. My "lets try 10 chickens" experiment has just taken a life of its own now..

 

[lazy gardener]

Wishing you the best, Kerry! Spring is on the way. Not fast enough for you, eh???