Dog attack

[chickenladytay]

my favorite chicken was attacked by a dog tonight. Somehow there’s no deep injuries. Her head feathers were completely ripped out and she has some scratches but nothing too serious. I’m seriously upset about it and not sure what to do. Her comb is pale and she is lethargic but she’s drinking water. Is there something I can do to help her? Will her head feathers ever grow back?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Can we get a picture? Depending on her head's shape, they may or may not come back soon/at all

 

[pigcoon]

I have found chickens remarkably resilient after attack. Personally I would spray the injuries with a good antibacterial (the brand is slipping my mind right now) and keep her clean. Birds heal FAST. Keep her quiet and warm if it's chilly where you are. hopefully as long as there was not organ damage, and it was all skin and feathers, she will bounce back quickly. I have had several that have.

 

[chickenladytay]

Can we get a picture? Depending on her head's shape, they may or may not come back soon/at all

Feathers aren’t as bare as I had thought when I saw her last night. I did notice a deep hole on her head as well ):

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Oh that's nothing. They'll be back by her next molt at the latest. They'll look even better when her feathers dry and get poofy again. I've had birds literally scalped that healed in about a month

 

[chickenladytay]

Oh that's nothing. They'll be back by her next molt at the latest. They'll look even better when her feathers dry and get poofy again. I've had birds literally scalped that healed in about a month

Thanks. That makes me feel better! She’s just so lethargic and not eating.

 

[lbgreenfield]

Hi there. Sorry to hear your chicken got attacked, I have been there. It's an awful feeling.

I would spray/clean her wounds with a gentle/mild soap (if you can) and use Vetricyn spray (available at Tractor Supply or Rural King) to thoroughly spray all the wounds. You can then cover the wounds with Neosporin oinment (NO pain relief, just plain Neosporin). You might have to do this a few times during the day to keep the wounds clean and monitor for infection.

For drinking/eating, I'd add in some electrolytes to her water (Sav-A-Chick or Poultry Cell, both available at Tractor Supply, Rural King, etc.) and feed her some scrambled egg, canned tuna, cooked oatmeal, yogurt, mushed/softened baby bird food, any foods she likes. Keep her separated from the flock if possible.

She looks like she will be fine!

 

[Zen_chirps]

I had this happen with one of my chickens at the beginning of the year. We used the Purple wound cleaner/sealer and kept her isolated. Chickens will peck at the wounds of others. We kept her isolated for 6 weeks and 2x weekly we'd rinse her wound & respray. She has recovered sassier than ever and has the most beautiful dark feathers.
It's a bit of work, but totally worth it. Also, you might notice that they'll stop laying for a little while. Ours stopped for about 2 weeks before producing normally again.