Follow-up on chicken attacked by dog -- now what?

[frankenchick]

I think Sassy will survive, unless infection rears its ugly head. She's alert, has eaten/drunk, and has pooped a couple times.

How do I return her to the coop? Will the others attack her? (I will treat her with WoundKote)

Will she be too cold w/o feathers on her backside? It's a fairly large area, plucked clean. The temps here are single-digit.

 

[frankenchick]

and what would infection look like?

I have to go out of state Thurs-Sun, and I'm very concerned about her.

 

[horsejody]

I wouldn't put an injured bird in the coop with others. They will pick on her and possibly kill her. It is nature's way of culling the weak. If she has to go in the coop, put her in a cage and hang a light for extra heat. Maybe a neighbor kid can care for her while you are gone.

 

[frankenchick]

Unfortunately, the only kids around here that would be old enough are the ones that keep letting the killer dog out without restraining her.

A cage w/in the coop is a good idea, but I'm not sure how I'd feed and water her. How stressful for the chicken would a trip to IL be? It would be 6 hours by van.

 

[cmom]

Shoot the dog with bright colored paintballs and if that doesn't work SSS.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i would take her with you on your trip. i moved long distance with my chickens and they did fine. The movement of the car calms them, just the way it does with babies. Put some sliced cucumber in the cage for moisture and nourishment. Maybe set out some water and food when you stop along the way. If it were my bird i wouldn't leave her alone. You will feel better being able to keep an eye on her and watch for signs of infection, rather than fretting if she is okay while you are away.

 

[horsejody]

I'd take her on the trip.

 

[SarahBeth9394]

Taking her on the trip depends on where she is staying and what she's going to do while on the trip. If she's staying at someone's house bringing an injured animal would be a huge imposition to the host family. And what if the host family has animals that would finish off the chicken. If she's planning on going out and doing things she can't be watching the chicken.

My daughter got bit by a dog a few years back. I took her to the ER. They cleaned it out and closed it. They gave her a round of antibiotics yet she still got a serious infection. We had to take her to the ER 3 times in 2 weeks. One visit was overnight with IV antibiotics. The bite only had one tooth enter her skin and the gash was an inch long. Even the small bites are serious.

If the chicken was bitten through like my daughter was or worse I would cull it. The odds of not getting a life ending infection are extremely slim. It's not different than putting down a dog who was mortally wounded and ending the animals misery.

Oh and I second shooting the dog. Do you have a fenced yard that the dog is scaling or is it not fenced and the dog just ran over?