Help! Hen with a hurt foot was attacked by a fox & had wing ripped off

[mollylope]

Please help. I discovered our hen Rue with a hurt foot yesterday; she was limping and had some missing feathers. The other chickens were pecking at her so I took her in, cleaned the few bloody spots and wrapped it up with gauze. She seemed to be okay so I put her in the coop where she was able to hobble around to get food, water, and sleep.

Later in the night my mom went outside to take them out of the run & lock them in the coop for the night, as we are well aware of the unnaturally large population of foxes in our neighborhood. She found a fox attacking Rue through the wire of the run. We didnt notice last night, but I found that her left wing is totally gone. The bone is exposed as well.

It almost is worst that she is having trouble with her right foot. I have a feeling it is broken but I do not know how to tell. Her bone is showing and I'd say she has a mere 2 inches of the wing bone left. It is not bleeding, but I am unsure of how long it takes for skin to regrow on a bone, if it even does.

She is in her own padded crate right now with food water and a nice little box to sleep in. She made it through the first night and today just fine. I brought her friend in to see her and she seemed okay, but she was still unable to walk. I changed the gauze and it must of really hurt because she was shaking.

I dont know if we will be able to take her to the vet. Our dog already needs a $2500 surgery.

We are going to add more wire to the coop so the foxes cant stick their snouts in any more.


I am wondering what to do regarding her foot as well as her exposed wing bone.

All help is appreciated.

-Molly

 

[nanawendy]

I am so sorry, I have no idea what to do in such a intense emergency. Hopefully some experts will post. If not it might be to late back east... so re-post in the morning. Good luck... sending your chicken healing vibes.

 

[redhen]

I dont know..I know i would most likely put her down if you cant take her to a vet. (i know..its expensive!)
but thats just me..with a serious injury like that..i'd not let her suffer...
but the experts will chime in hopefully and help you out..
sorry about this.. poor thing..

 

[mollylope]

Can anyone else help? I really dont want to put her down. She is eating and drinking normally and really does not seem to be in that much pain.

 

[redhen]

Can you get ahold of any antibiotic?? you'll need them for sure...
Keep her warm and clean...thats all i can think of ...
sorry...

 

[Tangerine farmer]

If she is eating and drinking... let her live! If her body told her to curl up in a ball and die, then it would be different. At least you don't have to worry about what to do with a wing that is partially hanging off.... No debate about whether to cut it off or not!

I have a friend who lost his arm in a printing press in high school... he's alive and well, and earns a good living!

Keep us updated!

 

[horsejody]

Are any of the vets on the list near you?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=200108

If not, start calling around to see who treats chickens. Start with the farm vets. They are usually much cheaper and are often more likely to see a wider variety of animals. You might be surprised and find someone in your area willing to help for little or nothing. You never know until you ask. There was a post on here recently about a vet that operated on somebody's duck for free.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

With the bone being exposed, the chances of her developing an infection and dying is high. Also, if that much bone is uncovered, it is unlikely enough tissue will be able to regrow over it. A vet might be able to surgically cover the bone. I think if you can't take it to the vet to get the bone covered up, you should put it down. Before you put her down, call around to see if a vet might be affordable around you.