Fox bite on hen, near vent help!

[Krysten513]

2 days ago, I came outside in time to see a fox chasing my hen, I scared him off, but walking back towards the coop I saw all her tail feathers. He took off almost all the feathers on her behind and there's a bite, looks like a toothmark hole on the edge of her vent. It's scabbing over now,trying to keep feathers out of it, but it appears to have made a small prolapse of the vent. She's in the house in our dog crate, I have been using a wet warm cloth to her backside, as she is getting some poop stuck in the remaining feathers. I don't see other marks on her. She's acting fine otherwise, did lay an egg this morning and I didn't hear any straining, just found it in the crate. Is there something else I need to do? Look for? She's eating and drinking fine. Should I get antibiotics or iodine?I did spray it with bactine (only thing I had!)
Thanks!

Krysten

 

[scratch'n'peck]

It might just be kind of swollen while she is healing. you might want to trim back some of the feathers if you can if poop is getting stuck. Fortunately if she laid an egg okay, then she isn't prolapsed I don't think. Bactine should be fine a lot of people use neosporin, too. Just so you know, any first aid product with lidocaine or benzocaine is not good for birds because they are sensitive to them.

 

[MetalSmitten]

i personally like blu-kote for injuries, because it dyes the area so that the red blood doesn't show (meaning other chickens are less likely to peck at scabs/wounds). chickens tend to be fantastic healers though, just keep her separated like you're doing and keep an eye on everything

i personally don't like jumping straight to antibiotics, but if you notice signs of infection then i would start some. but hopefully she'll heal up within the next couple of weeks. she's a lucky girl to survive a fox! good job rescuing her.

 

[Krysten513]

well after we lost a few (didn't return to roost at dusk, or found feathers) we figured out we had foxes, then saw a den of mama and babies over the summer. grr. I think the combo of me outside yelling and the dog barking scared the fox from eating her but he kept circling our 2 acre backyard while i was out there rounding up the other ones. They are NOT happy about being penned up (they were semi-free range, or in a pen attached to coop but have figured out ways to get out, ugh) but safer for now, plus it's colder so they can just deal through the winter. I am assuming the tooth made a little tear at the opening of the vent, off to the left side. I will try to trim some more feathers. And just keep watching, wiping her off...i threw some probiotics in her water with some electrolytes.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Sorry you lost a few chickens to the fox. It sounds like she will heal up okay, but if she has any problems you could post a photo for more feedback. You might need 10 posts before you post a photo though.