Help for my healing pullet

[Aimless Farmer]

One of my 3 month old chickies got out of the nursery yesterday, in with the 1 year olds, and got the stuffing beat out of her. We found her tangled in the electric net fence with her scalp peeled back.

Long, expensive story short...she's been stitched up, given injections of antibiotic and pain medication. She will begin oral antibiotics and pain medication this evening. She is resting quietly this morning, snacking on the occasional strawberry. She is indoors in a small crate with a towel floor, with vitamin/electrolyte solution (though I haven't seen her drink), some of her grower and oatmeal on the towel (of which she has eaten some).

My questions...while she's healing and on antibiotics, should I try to increase her protein intake? Will the antibiotics upset her gut? Should I offer her yogurt to try and counter that?

Any advice on how to minimize stress while giving liquid medications to a young pullet who does NOT like to be touched or held? She's seriously one of my "bristley" girls. I raised her with 5 others from a day old, but she and a few others HATE being touched. She won't even eat yummy stuff, like strawberries, from my hand.

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[sammi]

poor little girl...

extra protein is usually a good idea when they are sick or injured..

plain active culture yogurt is a good idea..but if she is on oral antibiotics..the yogurt can interfere with med absorption..
so, best to wait till she is done with that med.

after she goes to roost for a while and is sleepy..it's easier to handle them..and less stressful..
but I assume the med is given more then once a day..
try using a towel so she doesn't flap her wings..sometimes this can calm them, also stroking the breast..
try and make sure things are quiet..and no other activity going on..

 

[d.k]

* yes, I would up her protein-- slightly. The yogurt should be fed on a schedule OPPOSITE of the oral antibiotic, else there's supposedly no benefit, but, if she's had a shot, I don't know for sure if you ought to do oral antibiotics anyway--at least, lytes and vits shouldn't be in the same waterer with an antibiotic, as I understand. (Oh! hey, sammi-- just caught your post.)

 

[Aimless Farmer]

Thanks for the advice given so far

Crushed antibiotics (125mg Clavamox) mixed with liquid are every 12 hours. Liquid pain medication (0.5 mg meloxicam) gets mixed into the evening dose. I've been wrapping her in a towel (chicken burrito!), which minimizes the flapping and scratching, but getting her to take the liquid (open the beak just enough...) has been the biggest issue. We've done the process twice now, refining both times. This evening's goal is LESS LIQUID. 1ml syringeful MAX! I've been mixing the meds with berry juice. Found out the hard way that crushed fruit is impossible to force feed, and she wouldn't eat the entire "spiked" berry on her own. My fear is that as she feels better and stronger, which she has hourly so far, that this process will get harder and harder.

She's actually tolerating the handling better than ever, just won't open the beak. Clamps it shut and twitches her little head. Also, because it's her scalp and the back of her neck which are all stitched up (must resist the nickname "Frankenchicken"), I don't really want to handle/restrain that area during medication time.

9 more days until meds are done and stitches come out (THAT will be fun, I'm sure!), then we're going to have to go through the process of reintroducing her to her nursury flock...but I'll save that for another post!! I'm just delighted to see her improving thus far. It will have been worth the time, work and money if she heals up and lives a happy chicken life.

Thanks guys It's reassuring to know you're out there for me when I need you.