chickens attacked

[chefy]

i think I had a fox at my chickens last night, I have one dead and 3 injured. what is the best thing to do now please. do I clean the wounds with salt water, will this help them. if they survive can I still eat the eggs..... please HELP!

 

[HEChicken]

I'm sorry about the attack on your chickens. If you look at the link in my signature, I was in the same situation a few years ago. In my case I know for sure it was a fox. Although most of my birds were killed, he left one severely injured hen, whom I expected would die of her injuries. However I treated them with triple antibiotic ointment (hopefully something similar is available in Spain) and she made a full recovery. She is still with me, now 4+ years old and still laying a beautiful dark brown egg every few days. Yes, the eggs are safe to eat! However....your hen has had a traumatic incident. Don't expect her to lay again any time soon. Salt water can't hurt but I don't think it is as good as a real antibiotic ointment. If your attacker was indeed a fox, they are nasty creatures with loads of bacteria in their mouth. Any wounds are highly likely to become infected so I'd really advise that you use the strongest thing you can to treat them.