Help! Chickens attacked by weasel (most likely), one still alive but injured...

[CarrieM]

So we just had a predator come into the pen and coop (I suspect weasel or mink) and wiped out 4 of our chickens and badly injured another. Head injury, lots of blood, but she is still breathing. We wrapped her in a blanket and brought her into the garage where it's warm...trying to get her to drink water with diluted baby aspirin, but I noticed she is wheezing. I am wondering if her windpipe might be severed...haven't had the courage to lift her head enough yet to be able to tell. (Her head seems still well attached, most of the damage is on the top, but I haven't looked closely at her neck yet because she's keeping her head down.) I am also wondering if I should clean the blood off with warm water (on her comb/head area)...I don't want to shock her with too much water and wasn't sure the best thing to do. Any input? Is there any hope for her if her windpipe is severed? Or should we put her down? Thanks!

 

[CarrieM]

Okay, just found out her windpipe is likely fine--her neck is intact. Yay! So I guess we will just keep trying to get water into her (and food later, if she can) and hope for the best...

 

[Eggcessive]

Clean her wounds with saline, and apply plain antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin. Reapply twice a day. Offer her a bowl of feed mixed with water, bits of egg or tuna. She may in shock for awhile, so leave her alone in a dim quiet area, and keep her warm. Let us know how she gets along. Do you have other chickens who were not harmed? I would go over the coop carefully, and repair any openingss where the predator got inside. A weasel can get into 1 inch chicken wire. I'm sorry for your loss.