Chicken attacked by possum...not good. :(

[forestkingvizslas]

I had a Barred Rock hen attacked by something in her coop 2 years ago. She was in such bad shape that both her eyes were swollen shut and she had a horrific penetrating wound under one wing. I was going to have my husband "take care of her", but after bringing her into the house to keep her warm in the meantime, I changed my mind. I am a vet tech and figured why not give her a chance! The worst that could happen is that she wouldn't make it.

Well, it took an entire week for her eyes to be able to open, and one of them was obviously not saveable. I had been tube feeding her by grinding up her layer pellets in an old coffee grinder, mixing with water and using that. I used some antibiotics I had at home, but soon realized that it wasn't cutting the infection in the wound under her wing. I started using some Baytril in her tube feedings once a day (techincally it is now "illegal" for a vet to prescribe it to any kind of food animal). A few weeks later she still wouldn't eat, despite having one good eye...I was getting very frustrated (as was my husband who was tired of a chicken in our kitchen!) Well, I woke up one morning to find some blood in her crate and her beak had fallen off!! The blood supply to that was apparantly damaged in the attack. She began to eat immediately! Her beak had been so painful she didn't want to eat. I had stopped her pain meds after a week or so, not realizing there was still a problem.

2 years later she looks funny with what looks like "lips" for a beak and only one eye, but she does great! I was finally able to integrate her back into her flock and she is actually one of the top girls, despite her handicaps...She is so friendly that she hangs out on the porch in the summer watching us through the door and jumped into my husbands truck when he left the door open for a minute. She apparantly wanted to see the world! If I can figure out how to attach a picture you can see her in all her strangeness!


Keep up the good work, she may pull through and become your best friend!

 

[matthewschickens]

You can attach a pic by going on FAQ and it will tell you there.

 

[forestkingvizslas]

Thanks!! Here is Miracle chicken! (and yes, that is what we actually call her for a name!)

 

[Country4ever]

Sounds like you're taking good care of her. Just keep her warm and stress-free. I would do as someone said and put a tiny bit of water/electrolytes in her beak and let her swallow. If she won't do that you should put some in a small syringe and put it far down her throat.
Chickens have amazing recuperative powers, if they are supported along the way. You don't want them getting cold.
I hope her eyes heal. I know coons and possums, etc., are just doing their thing, but I wish they would stick to nuts and berries!
I had a bad coon attack last summer. One of the survivor hens had a huge 3"x4" gash out of her back with muscle showing. And now......she looks perfectly normal.
Another thing I've noticed is that chickens (understandably) seem to have a real emotional shock to an attack and it takes them a couple months to act normal again, even without obvious injuries.
Good luck to your little feathered friend.

 

[mypicklebird]

For a chicken who can't see well enough to eat/drink- you need to feed her by hand. If she won't eat enough with hand or syringe feeding to keep up her body weight- you need to tube (gavage- crop feed) feed her. You can contact a vet to get a red rubber feeding tube & large gauge syringe & hopefully a demo if you aren't confident in your poultry anatomy to get a tube into the crop. Half of the battle in healing after trauma in these guys is getting enough calories and water in them to keep them alive long enough for their bodies TO heal. Time will heal many wounds- antibiotics help too. If you do go to the vet's- they can give you more appropriate antibiotics, NSAIDs safe for birdies, and feeding supplies. Baby parrot food is easy to send through a syringe. Much easier than grinding up layer pellet/crumbles.

 

[theburtschickens]

Well, I had to put her down this morning.

She was just getting worse, obviously had an infection set in since she was having some yellowish drainage out her beak. Eyes still the same, swollen shut and bloody looking. Plus I couldn't seem to get her to eat or drink anything even with help, she flinched severely every time I even touched her head, and it seemed really hot to the touch. I could just tell she was miserable and in agony, so she's resting well now. Poor thing.

Thanks for all your advice and support, you gals and guys are always so helpful.

theburtschickens

 

[matthewschickens]

I am very sorry

You did all you could

 

[LAMchop]

So sorry to hear about your girl, but it sounds like you did the right thing.

I recently had to put down an Orpington after a possum attack. It was hard, but I was relieved to know she wasn't suffering.

 

[Country4ever]

So sorry for your loss.