BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[islafarm]

He's in shock, so keep him warm and quiet, make sure he has plenty of fluids, and get some electrolytes in him - make sure he's drinking himself or give him fluids by dropper. See how he's doing later, but if he has a favourite hen who's quiet, I would bring her in too. If he was protecting his flock, he might still be stressed not knowing how they are. Should have food available - would give him what he likes most: he'll hopefully be hungry as his shock wears off.

Make sure he's in a draft free area that's stable temperature and noise wise.

Sounds like you did well with the examination and the wound treating! How are the others?

Good luck! I'm sure more experienced folk will chime in too!

 

[ronott1]

I posted in Emergencies, but wanted to ask you guys - I hope you don't mind the cross post:

Three small terrier type dogs got into my yard this afternoon. When I drove up, I found feathers all over the driveway, and the dogs around. I chased them off, and after some searching, found my Cream Legbar cockerel wedged into a hiding place behind a fence. He was apparently able to get away from them enough that his only injuries were that all of his tail feathers, a lot of the feathers along his backside, and some of his wing feathers were plucked - some bloody. He's got abrasions, but only one wound (not terribly big, though a gouge) on the top of his tail nub. He has no broken bones that I can tell. I do not think he has internal injuries though time will tell. He appears "in shock" for lack of another term - sort of stunned. I brought him inside, in a large dog crate lined with pine shavings, and a cardboard box at one end, on its end, with a towel. There is a cup of water and he is drinking well. His mouth is a little open. He seems a little off balance, but can stand.

I find that, even though I've read plenty, I am "in shock" myself and my brain just isn't working on what to do. I cleaned his wounds with Vetricyn, examined him, and gave him water. I was going to give him some scrambled eggs. I wanted to know what other advice anyone had for supporting him at this time.

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) Cream Legbar cockerel, 33 weeks
2) What is the behavior, exactly. NA
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Acute attack about 2-3 hours ago.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? NA
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. Bleeding and some abrasions where plucked, one tail wound. Abrasions around wattles and comb (which are very red/purplish).
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. See above. Dog attack - I believe he was leading them away from the girls.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. Has been offered water, drinking ok, have not offered food yet - wondering what I should offer.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. No poops so far. Vent seems ok, but abraded area.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Cleaned wounds, brought inside.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Will likely treat myself, not take to vet.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. I will try to get one. Need to get the other birds put up for the night.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use In 48" dog crate lined with pine shavings, with large cardboard box on end at one side , and towel in it.

(I may be setting eggs from his girls earlier than expected...)

- Ant Farm

That is terrible!

I had a similar situation with a hen a month ago. She is fine now!

He's in shock, so keep him warm and quiet, make sure he has plenty of fluids, and get some electrolytes in him - make sure he's drinking himself or give him fluids by dropper. See how he's doing later, but if he has a favourite hen who's quiet, I would bring her in too. If he was protecting his flock, he might still be stressed not knowing how they are. Should have food available - would give him what he likes most: he'll hopefully be hungry as his shock wears off.

Make sure he's in a draft free area that's stable temperature and noise wise.

Sounds like you did well with the examination and the wound treating! How are the others?

Good luck! I'm sure more experienced folk will chime in too!

Yes, do this. Watch for infection where the bites might be and keep using the vetericyn.

 

[Kassaundra]

I agree w/ islafarm. Keep him quiet and comfortable the immediate issue is the "shock" (not the medical definition but the chicken definition) If he is going to die from that it will be tonight, if he makes it to morning you can be pretty sure he won't die from initial injuries. Watch the puncture for infection punctures and dog bites are high risk for infection. When he goes back outside the sudden loss of feathers can be a hypothermic problem, he may need some version of clothing to keep him warm enough in winter. Fluids are most important, make sure food offered is high nutrient and easy digested (scrambled eggs are perfect) most important ................................. THOSE DOGS WILL BE BACK be prepared.

Also sounds like the injury is near the oil gland, if so watch it for swelling, if the oil gland itself in damaged it could be a fatal injury, scar tissues can block it, if that happens it wouldn't kill him immediately but would be an injury requiring culling or expensive surgery by a vet.

 

[Beer can]

BOSS grows nice flowers also. I throw a few handfuls around my mailbox every yr. Looks like tall blackeyed susan's without the black eye.

 

[bnjrob]

I posted in Emergencies, but wanted to ask you guys - I hope you don't mind the cross post:

Three small terrier type dogs got into my yard this afternoon. When I drove up, I found feathers all over the driveway, and the dogs around. I chased them off, and after some searching, found my Cream Legbar cockerel wedged into a hiding place behind a fence. He was apparently able to get away from them enough that his only injuries were that all of his tail feathers, a lot of the feathers along his backside, and some of his wing feathers were plucked - some bloody. He's got abrasions, but only one wound (not terribly big, though a gouge) on the top of his tail nub. He has no broken bones that I can tell. I do not think he has internal injuries though time will tell. He appears "in shock" for lack of another term - sort of stunned. I brought him inside, in a large dog crate lined with pine shavings, and a cardboard box at one end, on its end, with a towel. There is a cup of water and he is drinking well. His mouth is a little open. He seems a little off balance, but can stand.

I find that, even though I've read plenty, I am "in shock" myself and my brain just isn't working on what to do. I cleaned his wounds with Vetricyn, examined him, and gave him water. I was going to give him some scrambled eggs. I wanted to know what other advice anyone had for supporting him at this time.

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) Cream Legbar cockerel, 33 weeks
2) What is the behavior, exactly. NA
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Acute attack about 2-3 hours ago.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? NA
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. Bleeding and some abrasions where plucked, one tail wound. Abrasions around wattles and comb (which are very red/purplish).
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. See above. Dog attack - I believe he was leading them away from the girls.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. Has been offered water, drinking ok, have not offered food yet - wondering what I should offer.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. No poops so far. Vent seems ok, but abraded area.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Cleaned wounds, brought inside.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Will likely treat myself, not take to vet.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. I will try to get one. Need to get the other birds put up for the night.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use In 48" dog crate lined with pine shavings, with large cardboard box on end at one side , and towel in it.

(I may be setting eggs from his girls earlier than expected...)

- Ant Farm

Injured birds here go to the *hospital* in the garage which is either a rabbit hutch or a giant plastic storage container that I brood newly hatched chicks in (middle of storage lid is cut out and replaced with plastic chicken *wire*). I prefer to keep them in the garage where they will have the same temperatures, rather than have them get accustomed to a warmer (or cooler) temp inside and then have problems adapting back to the outdoor temps. They have shavings to bed down in and if it is cold I will cover a portion of their hospital area with towel/feedsack/etc to help hold their body heat in the area of the box they've chosen to stay in. They get water with Poultry Nutridrench in it and chick feed (higher protein) with them. If swelling has shut their eyelids, then I will syringe feed them water, otherwise I wait for them to begin feeling better and eat and drink on their own. External wounds usually get some BluKote on them which is antiseptic and also helps to hide the blood when they go back with a group so the group doesn't peck the wound.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

I've been lurking here a bit and wanted to ask, while you guys are on the subject of feed; Do any of you use fermented feed with your breeders? 

For what it is worth, I bought h&h feed, it is local for me, and fermented it. My birds did a lot better when I switched to Purina.

 

[Beekissed]

I've been lurking here a bit and wanted to ask, while you guys are on the subject of feed; Do any of you use fermented feed with your breeders? And/or do any of you try to produce your own chicken feed with gardens/mealworms/etc?

Where I'm at, nobody seems to care about anything organic or frufru, the types of feed are always changing at the feed stores, and a couple of the smaller ones have reduced what they have available to only a few options. I can't even get non-medicated chick starter anywhere so I have to go with game bird feed. I have to drive almost two hours just to get non-medicated goat feed. I just don't believe in medicating before there is anything wrong, so sue me...

I guess where I'm getting at, is I would rather not have to rely on the ever-changing feed stores and if I can produce my own feed, and breed chickens more suitable to free ranging, all the better. I just don't know enough to make sure they are getting all the nutrition they need...yet...

I use fermented feed with my breeders/layer flock. My flock use free range as their primary source of nutrition in the green months but are supplemented with layer ground at the local mill that has been fermented. The forage here is phenomenal and I plan extra nutrition into that forage in various ways, but do not grow meal worms~other than those naturally occurring in the deep litter in the coop.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I agree w/ islafarm. Keep him quiet and comfortable the immediate issue is the "shock" (not the medical definition but the chicken definition) If he is going to die from that it will be tonight, if he makes it to morning you can be pretty sure he won't die from initial injuries. Watch the puncture for infection punctures and dog bites are high risk for infection. When he goes back outside the sudden loss of feathers can be a hypothermic problem, he may need some version of clothing to keep him warm enough in winter. Fluids are most important, make sure food offered is high nutrient and easy digested (scrambled eggs are perfect) most important ................................. THOSE DOGS WILL BE BACK be prepared.

Also sounds like the injury is near the oil gland, if so watch it for swelling, if the oil gland itself in damaged it could be a fatal injury, scar tissues can block it, if that happens it wouldn't kill him immediately but would be an injury requiring culling or expensive surgery by a vet.

Thank you everyone. He drank water very well, and now is just wanting to be quiet, so although I added electrolytes (I had Sav-A-Chick), I didn't force him to drink, as he was dozing off (but not losing consciousness). He is inside in the crate because that was the best I could set up quickly under the circumstances. I will be able to move him out to the mud room after a day or two if he's getting better - no A/C or heat, but right up against the house, so more "garage-like" than internal temps.

Kass, the one injury is right by the oil gland - that's worrisome given what you are saying. I tried to clean it out as well as I could without hurting him (trying not to freak him out). I'll have a better look tomorrow. But yes indeed, it is right there. I will need to read up on this. I may take him out of the car and more thoroughly clean the wound this evening - I was trying to avoid too much manipulation earlier because he was so shocky looking.

The dogs were very small terriers - smaller than some cats. And they came in the "human" paths, from the front, and I do not think there is any way to exclude them from the chicken yard. The birds will all stay inside tomorrow while I wrap my head around the best way to protect the paddocks. Interestingly, after my forensic analysis (following the feather trail), I have come to the conclusion that the dogs did not make it across or breach any of the fencing. The oddest thing about all of this was that I found the feathers in the DRIVEWAY (way far away from the back yard, across lots of decking and obstacles). As best I can tell, Dumbledore saw them and preemptively flew out of his paddock and drew the dogs up toward the front of the house and away from all the other chickens. I hope he makes it - he's a good protector. Meanwhile, I'm starting to save eggs from the girls. They're not in peak condition, but in case he doesn't make it, I'm going to set early, I think.

Off to go clean his wound again before it gets too late.

- Ant Farm

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

For what it is worth, I bought h&h feed, it is local for me, and fermented it. My birds did a lot better when I switched to Purina.

My birds did poorly on Purina, better on Payback brand, and best so far on the custom stuff. BUT ... we changed a bunch of other stuff about the same time as we were switching feed around. AND ... the local Purina poultry feed mill was one of the ones that had recalls due to improper feed mixing.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

For what it is worth, I bought h&h feed, it is local for me, and fermented it. My birds did a lot better when I switched to Purina.

I've heard that from others. I also had that experience personally, at least with the CLs (the NNs were on Purina Flock Raiser form the start).

My birds did poorly on Purina, better on Payback brand, and best so far on the custom stuff. BUT ... we changed a bunch of other stuff about the same time as we were switching feed around. AND ... the local Purina poultry feed mill was one of the ones that had recalls due to improper feed mixing.

I think this is a great example of how, regardless of the "numbers", etc., we really have to observe our birds carefully for how they are doing - that is the true test.

- Ant Farm