Dog Attack

[keaniebeanie]

Hello everyone,
My chickens were attacked by the neighbor's dog today. I had 1 dead waiting on my door step when I got home from work, with a note and $20. Their house burnt a little over a week ago and they are not living in the house at the moment. I let the chickens out this morning before work thinking that the dogs would not be around. Long story short, they believed there was another chicken dead out in a swampy area near the house. My son checked in the coop (they put the remaining ones back in and locked them in) and there were only 2 in there. We had 5. After looking for 1/2 hour a chicken came out of the woods uninjured. Another couple of hours pass and yet another comes out of the woods!! YAY!! But this last one has had all tail feathers ripped out. There is blood near the bottom of the vent and up above the vent (where the tail feathers would be). Seems to be fine other than a bit bloody. What should I do? Should I give anitbiotics or just clean the wound and go with that? Thanks.

 

[sourland]

You might want to coat the wound with an antibiotic cream and keep an eye on her so that she does not get 'fly blown'. Good luck - if there are no internal injuries, chickens readily heal from lacerations.

 

[keaniebeanie]

Thank you Sourland. It is dusk now and I am just not going to bother her tonight. I will try to get out there in the morning before work and check on her and put some bacitracin on there. She has been traumatized enough for one day.

 

[sourland]

Also check to make sure that her flock mates do not peck at the wounds.

 

[keaniebeanie]

Just checked on the girls and all seem well. I am going to pick up some vetrimycin and Blue coat after work for my injured girl. Looks like wounds have at least scabbed over. Flock mates seem to be leaving her alone. Thank you for your help Sourland.

T

 

[sourland]

Chickens generally recuperate fully from such wounds as long as there is no internal injury. Good update!