Help bear attack... should I euthanize?

[ryneaeiel]

great this is helpful. I yelled at it last night, and it did run, but obviously came back... which is disappointing. At this point they are coming regularly for sure. Would you keep your birds in the run with the electric fencing for the first few days or let them free range in case the bear got back in? We have 3 big areas of hardware cloth to repair on our run before they can be enclosed during the day again. I'm thinking of screwing the doors closed tonight

I'd honestly keep them in the run -- it's more likely to draw the bears in and make them touch the electric fence. The sooner the bears realize they can't cross the fence without getting shocked, the better.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Wow, That sounds just wild. You have a few big things going on and I am sorry. You do sound in the solution but much to handle. I am so sorry for the loss of your loved duck. But you have a plan and you are doing great.
Banging pots came to mind -not that we have bears- but when my dad was doing a series on national parks decades ago we had our fair share of encounters and always kept the pans close to the door.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Not really much of a firearm house. We have a 22 that we keep for occasion like having to put the duck down, but I'm home alone with a toddler all day so we don't keep it loaded or that handy. Our house is on a hill, and all woods behind us. our property backs national forest. the coop is behind our house, and from what i can tell they have perfect view of our house/ coop from the bottom of the hill where they just come and go. They are coming right into our yard though for the coop. They ripped the hardware cloth that is our run like it was paper. then last night pulling the chicken door right off hinges, latch and all and are getting birds each time. I was up cleaning this hen till 1:30 am, and didn't hear any commotion. Ugh our poor duck. it was awful. I was so excited when we saw her show back up this morning. I've never had to set up electric fence before do i just surround the coop and turn it on at night? I am gonna loose all my birds at this rate.

Electric Fences only will work on bear if they happen to touch it with their NOSE. The rest of the bear is so fur bound, touching the fence has no effect on them. Bears are horrible, you can't do much but be ready and shoot them. I don't know what state you are in, but in California you ARE allowed to shoot and kill a bear that is after your livestock. In California you are NOT allowed to shoot a racoon unless you have a hunting license. You ARE allowed to trap a racoon, but NOT allowed to relocate them, you must release them in the same area. You should check the regulations where you are. Did I say yet that I HATE bears? They pulled the doors off of our coop as well. Bears will return night after night until all the food (chickens) are gone.

 

[ryneaeiel]

Electric Fences only will work on bear if they happen to touch it with their NOSE. The rest of the bear is so fur bound, touching the fence has no effect on them. Bears are horrible, you can't do much but be ready and shoot them. I don't know what state you are in, but in California you ARE allowed to shoot and kill a bear that is after your livestock. In California you are NOT allowed to shoot a racoon unless you have a hunting license. You ARE allowed to trap a racoon, but NOT allowed to relocate them, you must release them in the same area. You should check the regulations where you are. Did I say yet that I HATE bears? They pulled the doors off of our coop as well. Bears will return night after night until all the food (chickens) are gone.

Yes, I would set up the electric fence with very small gaps to ensure that it makes contact somewhere on the bear's face or the pad of their paw if they try to push it aside.

Once they get shocked they should leave it be, but until then, you're going to want to set up the fence so that the bear has no choice but to touch it with its paws/face. A cross-fence should work well, like this.

 

[CCinVT]

Yes, I would set up the electric fence with very small gaps to ensure that it makes contact somewhere on the bear's face or the pad of their paw if they try to push it aside.

Once they get shocked they should leave it be, but until then, you're going to want to set up the fence so that the bear has no choice but to touch it with its paws/face. A cross-fence should work well, like this.

View attachment 2674935

This link is super helpful. The birds coop/ run is on uneven ground, and wooded. Am I understanding that you suggest wrapping the coop with electric wire, amd in addition set up an electric run like in the picture? I'm hoping to get what I need tomorrow.

Electric Fences only will work on bear if they happen to touch it with their NOSE. The rest of the bear is so fur bound, touching the fence has no effect on them. Bears are horrible, you can't do much but be ready and shoot them. I don't know what state you are in, but in California you ARE allowed to shoot and kill a bear that is after your livestock. In California you are NOT allowed to shoot a racoon unless you have a hunting license. You ARE allowed to trap a racoon, but NOT allowed to relocate them, you must release them in the same area. You should check the regulations where you are. Did I say yet that I HATE bears? They pulled the doors off of our coop as well. Bears will return night after night until all the food (chickens) are gone.

We are not allowed to just shoot the bear. Although I know some people who would. It is not considered an neusance until you've tried electric fencing. I know this bear is a momma and has 3 cubs in tow. This year seems to be everyone is having more bear issues than usual. I just need to get this momma to know this coop is no longer a snack option. She is getting way to comfortable in our yard.

As for my Hen she ate and drank some this morning, and agian this afternoon. The back puncture wounds is are def deep but the skinned spot under her wing is so thin and exposed muscle. I can see that she was grabbed from behind like it would have pulled her rear off. There is a deep gash/separation from one puncture across to the other that goes just above the top of her tail. This is where I think she in the most pain when I clean and reapply the neosporin. I have not heard any more air coming from the one puncture wound. I've got probiotics in her water. Moist pellets with some sunflower seeds mixed in. Her poops are a bit runny but not total liquid. She is not bearing weight on one leg and I can see it's an entire bruise. She has as you expect bruising around her entire back area also. I rinsed her wounds and liberally applied neosporin and re draped new gauze on her. All the wound areas, and her leg are hot to the touch. It honestly doesnt smell good, but there is alot of exposed and rawness. The gauze is absorbing drainage/ and so I'm just keeping them clean and hoping it also is helping keep her surrounding fluff and feathers off. I dont think shes out of the woods, but I'm keeping her cage clean, encouraging her to eat, and will change her gauze again tonight before bed. Shes in a dark laundry closet and is resting in between me encouraging her to heat and peeking in at her.

 

[TropicalBabies]

It sounds like you are doing very well. Keep the faith, it may take a few weeks of this- very wounded and depressed behavior- before you start to see improvements. I used a clean, soft paint brush to smooth on the Neosporin, it could get to the places with evenness my hand could not. Both she and I appreciated it as it was kinder than my hand. I did cut a soft T in a large chicken saddle shape but ended up never using. Even though she was beat, her body was mending, it took about two weeks for me to realize I had done the right thing by NOT culling her, seeing her down I had lots of guilt about her suffering and could not wrap my mind around how this big heal was going to happen, especially with her age. But it did.

A big game changer for us was taking her out to be with her flock mates. I set her up in a contained area and threw scratch so the flock would come visit. It was amazing, much of Mazie's pain was the fear and isolation, being a prey animal, no surprise right? I did a little here and there at first as I was dodging rain drops and with quiet time in-between and I gradually had her out there for hours with her flock in the filtered sunshine. That is when I saw we had turned the corner.



Keep an eye on her poop. Remember she needs calories anyway you can get them down. Mazie rejected favorite foods many times so I just found another. Anything for calories. I was lucky enough to have just started a mealworm colony and that was always a sure thing and great protein and also, canned cat food, papaya and tomato. Always crunchies on the side either moist or not but that ebbed and flowed.

 

[FrappcinoObsession]

For reference now that shes trimmed up and I've cleaned off alot of the feathers that were glued onto the wounds. I've found a few more smaller punctures. Shes obviously in pain so I'm letting the gauze sit and soften the stuck feather bits some more and then will try to irrigate under the flaps of skin best I can. In trying to gauge at this point if I've cleaned enough off, and should let her rest till tomorrow. I wont be able to go get her more antibiotic ointment till later morning/ early afternoon. I'll spray the whole area with vetericyn. The skinned area under her wing is very thin tissue. I hope she makes it, but I'm gonna take my cues from her. Cleaning her up is obviously stressful and painful also. My poor girl. Shes my oldest hen.

Hope she gets better.

 

[FrappcinoObsession]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/24081034

I am so sorry about your hen but take heart and don't give up. My old gal was attacked and chewed on by a small dog, not a bear or raccoon but a butthead Lhasa Apso. Thought she was a goner because of age and severity. I was a wreck, not nearly as calm as you. Amazie made it through and was even laying again after 6wks???

We had a bear tear into our coop. I dont know if this hen was then attacked by a racoon that got I to the openings or it was the bear. Deep puncture wounds on her back. One I can hear is sucking air. I'm worried about flushing and cleaning the wound like I would with just a gnarly flesh type wound. She is clearly in pain, but alert and oriented. I dont want to put her through the process of rinsing and trimming feathers and such if this is futile. Quality of life matters. She looks half skinned

My hen sugar also had a bad wound thateven her kidneys pulled off and damged. and everything so deep. I would have svaed her when she she first got that wound I should of kept her in instead of the canblisum flock and my rooster malking it wroste and she got sttuck and the blades cut her malking it wroste if I stiched it and clean it with saline soultion earlier she would be living but it was to late.

 

[FrappcinoObsession]

It sounds like you are doing very well. Keep the faith, it may take a few weeks of this- very wounded and depressed behavior- before you start to see improvements. I used a clean, soft paint brush to smooth on the Neosporin, it could get to the places with evenness my hand could not. Both she and I appreciated it as it was kinder than my hand. I did cut a soft T in a large chicken saddle shape but ended up never using. Even though she was beat, her body was mending, it took about two weeks for me to realize I had done the right thing by NOT culling her, seeing her down I had lots of guilt about her suffering and could not wrap my mind around how this big heal was going to happen, especially with her age. But it did.

A big game changer for us was taking her out to be with her flock mates. I set her up in a contained area and threw scratch so the flock would come visit. It was amazing, much of Mazie's pain was the fear and isolation, being a prey animal, no surprise right? I did a little here and there at first as I was dodging rain drops and with quiet time in-between and I gradually had her out there for hours with her flock in the filtered sunshine. That is when I saw we had turned the corner.

View attachment 2676439View attachment 2676440

Keep an eye on her poop. Remember she needs calories anyway you can get them down. Mazie rejected favorite foods many times so I just found another. Anything for calories. I was lucky enough to have just started a mealworm colony and that was always a sure thing and great protein and also, canned cat food, papaya and tomato. Always crunchies on the side either moist or not but that ebbed and flowed.

Get a sterlizer to num the pain and stich the wound.

 

[ryneaeiel]

Am I understanding that you suggest wrapping the coop with electric wire, amd in addition set up an electric run like in the picture? I'm hoping to get what I need tomorrow.

I would just set up an electric run that surrounds the coop.

All the wound areas, and her leg are hot to the touch. It honestly doesnt smell good, but there is alot of exposed and rawness. The gauze is absorbing drainage/ and so I'm just keeping them clean and hoping it also is helping keep her surrounding fluff and feathers off.

The "hot to the touch" and bad smell makes me think it may be infected.

Here's a post from another thread about treating chickens with antibiotics.

You can buy some online from fish or bird product sites, such as FishMox (amoxicillin) and others. In feed stores you can still get an injectable penicillin (procaine penicillin G,) but others were mostly made prescription only in 2017. If using the injectable procaine penG, give 1/4 ml daily into the breast muscle for 4-5 days in a row. Use a 20 gauge needle since it is thick, and insert it only 1/4 inch, so shorter needles are preferred. If you have a regular vet who knows you well, they might sell you some oral antibiotics where you could get a good broad spectrum one, such as Baytril or Clavamox.

Edit: Are her wounds hot to the touch in general, or significantly hotter than the surrounding (undamaged) flesh? Chickens run a high temperature, so they'll feel warm compared to your hand -- if the wounds have a localized fever than I'd be concerned about infection, especially considering it was a bear that attacked her (and wild animals don't have the cleanest mouths.)