Chicken attacked by new puppy

[fuzzer]

Hey everyone,

Please put my blue andalusian hen Poppy in your thoughts tonight. She is in surgery now. We got a new puppy about three weeks ago and she attacked poppy when i wasnt looking for a second.

The vet says he thinks poppy will pull through. The worst problem is reinfection from the germs from the dog's mouth. Has anyone else gone through this type of surgery after dog attack?

Paul

 

[tx_dane_mom]

Wow, I'm sorry 1st of all.
I am also shocked that puppy teeth could do much damage to a hen to make it need surgery.
What kind of puppy? I've been making a HUGE effort to keep my dan epuppy exposed to to the birds so she won't be aggressive, but I don't even think her teeth could do much damage & she's 3 mnths old.

 

[hcammack]

I am sorry about your bird hope she is ok I know someone who got a artificial lung (made of a ballon) for there phenix rooster after he got in a fight and punctured his lung and it callapsed.

Henry

 

[fuzzer]

The puppy is a 4 months old mix of border collie and black labrador. We just got her a few weeks ago and obedience school doesn't start to the last of this month. She seemed to like to herd the chickens being part border collie but i hadn't seen any desire to attack.

and yeah, her teeth dont seem that strong to make big bite. when she plays with me, sometimes she'll try chewing on me and it is still pretty soft. I was shocked when i came down the stairs to see my hen Poppy laying on the ground wounded.

 

[chickenannie]

I think dogs may be friendly, appear benign and not attack chickens initially, but if the chicken makes sudden moves, or runs away from the dog, these and other behaviors can incite the dogs instinctive reaction and it may then attack the bird. The dog may even be trying to "play" without wanting to attack and may accidentally hurt the bird.

 

[fuzzer]

I just got a call from the vet. Poppy is waking up from surgery. The vet however is worried about reinfection b/c it will take at least a month for the hunk of flesh to scab over.

I'm gonna have to keep her in the house and give her some TLC during the recovery. Anybody keeping adult chickens in their house? I'll probably have to have her in a cage and put something over the top at night so she thinks it is time to roost. any other suggestions?

thx everyone
Paul

 

[d.k]

* Hey, Paul. I keep my hen, Miss Chook, in the bathtub at night. She was attacked by a possum some months ago and lost sight in one eye. I line the tub for her to help with traction and she has food and water there. The tub is easier to clean than a kennel carrier or cage, too.

 

[chickenannie]

Where do you take baths?

 

[d.k]

* Lol! In the tub with the chicken, of course!! No, just kidding. If we need to use the tub, we just move her temporarily to a bin, clean it (the tub) out with a plastic bristle broom & dustpan, scrub quickly with the same broom, a little bleach, spread with the broom, hit it with a spray rinse and it's good to go!!! Takes less than 1O minutes.

ED: Forgot to say, she's well now and outside all day til her 'bedtime' at about 5:3O, so the tub is free all day , too.

 

[chickenannie]