Dog Attacked Chicken, Not Eating On Own

[OaklandChickenFarmer]

Hello everyone,

My family and are in our first year of raising chickens and have 16 hens, although I grew up with several different types of critters, so I do know a little bit

. I am so glad I found this board! Tuesday afternoon I caught one of our dogs (we think) trying to "play" with one of the hens. They are no longer allowed to be around each other. Anyway, we rushed to the local vet who gave her an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory shot. She had 2 puncture wounds on her back and several feathers missing. We have been giving her water and food mashed with water through a syringe and yesterday bought some electrolytes to mix with her water. We have been feeding her raw egg, which she will take about 3 bites of and that's it. I also got her to eat a bit of oatmeal. We pretty much have to put both the food and water in her face or she will not eat or drink. We took her outside yesterday to get some fresh air, stretch and see what she would do. She mostly just wanted to stand and would look at things (bugs, food, etc) on the ground but will not even try to eat any of it. Then, he tried putting her in with the other hens who were very interested in her, but started to peck at her back. We put sugar on her wounds (recommended by vet) and I think that's what they were after. But, one of them pecked her comb and made it bleed a bit. We aren't sure what that was about, after dried food on there or what?

We are getting worried whether or not we will be able to reintroduce her to the flock? I know she needs to eat and drink on her own, does anyone have any insight as to how long this may take?

Thanks

 

[ChickenWisperer]

DO NOT REINTRODUCE HER now! Take her out IMMEDIATELY and don't put her back in until she is 100% back to normal and healed! The birds will kill her. They know she is a risk to the flock and will cut that risk down. They are picking at the wound because they see the blood, not for the sugar. Take her in the house, in a dark, warm place so she can recover. I don't know why the vet would say sugar, and not reccomend putting blue kote on it. I would wash the sugar off, and buy some blue-kote.

Don't feed her raw eggs. When she recovers she will seek protein in the form of raw eggs. Scramble them and give them to her that way, so she will not eat the eggs when she goes back. Be careful of how much oatmeal you give her, it can impact her crop.

Give her activia yogurt for the reularis in it.

 

[ChickenWisperer]

Oh - and just continue to force her water and food. If you have to, force it with a syringe as you have done, just make sure to be careful and not choke her.

 

[OaklandChickenFarmer]

Thank you for the quick reply. Just to clarify--she is not in with the flock, only the one short time while supervised. We've kept her in an animal crate in a back bedroom where it's quiet. We figured we have to wait until she's 100%. Just wanted to make sure that eventually they will accept her back. Will scramble her eggs, get her some activia and look for the blue kote. Do you think the electrolytes are still a good idea?

Thanks again!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yep the electrolytes are a good idea. And when she does recover 100% wait till dark and put her back in the coop so when they wake up the next morning there she is like always. She could still be suffering from shock too.

 

[mulewagon]

Sugar has antibiotic properties, as does honey. It was nice of the vet to recommend a cheap remedy, instead of immediately selling you a prescription med! And of course the sugar won't cause antibiotic resistance (since it dries up the bacteria, rather than poisoning them).

(The first time my husband got a diabetic ulcer on his foot, it was Friday night and we couldn't see the podiatrist. So I packed it with honey, covered with gauze, and changed it several times, and by Monday it was much better. The podiatrist was very sarcastic about the honey, but I was amused to note that he recommended vinegar and water soaks, plus deep cleaning - no antibiotics. Healed up nicely!)

 

[OaklandChickenFarmer]

Thank you all so much, we really appreciate the info!!

She wouldn't touch the scrambled egg and didn't want too much to do with the Activia, but with that we could put her beak down in it. My husband keeps taking the top off the carrier while we feed/water/scoop the poop out and she kept wanting to be up on the side of it tonight, so I would say that's a bit more progress.

PS- mulewagon, that is very interesting about the honey as well. My mom had heard about the sugar, and she knows a lot about animals (and treating them).

 

[ChickenWisperer]

Quote:
Blue-Kote isn't a perscription and is very cheap - usually 5.00 at the feed mill. It's both fungicidal and germicidal - a great antiseptic, and creates a barrier between exposed flesh and germs.