HELP Chickens Attacked

[mgibbspc]

Hey Guys this is my first post, I found the website last night. We are new to chickens and have hand raised 12 birds since they were 3 days old. We have 8 Americauanas and 4 Buff Orpingtons. They are in a 20x26 pen with a 6x6 run and attached coop. The pen has dog wire on it, but after the events this past weekend, we have installed an electric fence and my husband is going to put a row of chicken wire at the base of the pen to keep heads in. Now on to what happened. Something got to our chickens Saturday night. We found one hen dead with her head pulled off, and two other hens with wounds on their necks, but they are still alive, but not moving very much. The worst though is our beautiful rooster, Chip, he must have tried to help and he too has a small wound on his neck. He is trying to get around but can't hold his head up. Please tell us he is in shock. We have him in a small cage to rest but we are so upset. We have put blue lotion on everyone's wounds. My husband found what looked like small dog tracks, and it had tried to dig in all around the pen, but was unsuccessful. What can we do?

This morning Chip is trying to hold his head up, but only for a few seconds, and then he lays it back down. It is like it completely wears him out.

Thanks for any help you can give and thanks for letting me post such a long post. These guys are so important to us as they follow all of us like puppies, and love to be touched and walk around on my husband's shoulder.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Can he still eat and drink?

 

[chickflick]

Sounds like a racoon..... don't use chicken wire... use hardware cloth. Holes are lots smaller so chickens can't put their heads out and lots stronger also to keep predators out! Get electrolytes in your birds...just put it in their water and let them rest.
Someone else will come along that knows lots more than I do and let you know what to do.

good luck....and welcome..

 

[mgibbspc]

we are giving him water in a water dropper, he is refusing food right now.

 

[dlhunicorn]

you need to flush that wound with sterile saline (1/4 tsp salt in boiling water for five minutes then cool)... you need to SQUIRT it in there to flush (make sure whatever your use is sterile) then fill it with antibiotic creme...I suggest you get an appropriate antibiotic from your vet (tell vet is from a raccoon probably as they are infamous for this). Put electrolytes / vit in the waterer (for shock) ...you can get this at your feed store (in a pinch you can substitute gatorade or UNflavored pediolyte or childrens ORS until you can get the electr/vit from the feed store)

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I'd add some sugar to the water you're giving him, like you do with weak chicks, to start with. It might give him a little more energy. If he starts to feel a little better, he might start eating on his own again. I don't know how bad his injuries are. Other options are oral antibiotics, syringe feeding and pain medication.