Food/Water Intake After Attack-Advice Please

[ThornyRidge]

Well we are in to day 3 post coon attack.. both hens are holding on.. actually seem to be more alert.. I have continued to give them Poultry nutridrench and added fine powdery chick feed to bowl they have easy access to in their hospital pen and of course fresh water. I gave each gal a fresh coat of blue coat tonight on wound areas... one hen is missing most of the flesh off the back of her neck/head the other has minor gashes/wounds on neck/head. Good healthy coloring has come back to their faces and eyes now dilate regularly and look normal. I realize there is still some shock going on.. I am impressed they survived. How do I get them to eat. At this point no real interest in food/water I tried some meal worms-nope, special treats-nope, any ideas- I don't want to lose them now to starvation/dehydration. I have not tried anything for pain- would that help- I have probios- I know in my goats that along with the nutridrench is a boost to appetite.. is it the same for poultry? What are my next steps?

 

[collisinana]

I wouldn't press food too much right now, but if it has been a long time since they have drank, you can go ahead and pry their beak open and drop some water down with an eye dropper. Try to get as much as you can down. It's going to be hard to do by yourself especially if your chickens aren't too cooperative. If you're alone having this within something, a sink (something washable) for example though if its a slippery surface it can help to put a paper towel on the bottom for better footing. Hydration is extremely important. Shock is very common after an attack and usually if will take a couple days for the bird to return to normal though, if more than a few days have passed then I would certainly look into force feeding which I know very little about. After an incident, it's very important to keep all the wounds clear of infection and flushed out with water. If you have some tea tree oil, that is probably the best natural thing to use (I don't do any antibiotic or drug remedies). Dip some Q-tips in tea tree oil and wipe it over the injuries. I don't know how you would use the probios. If you have any homeopathic remedies, Arnica montana can help prevent bruising and pain if you dissolve a few pellets in their water before putting it in the eye dropper. I hope this helps. I'll be hoping the best for your chickens.