help please **UPDATE**

[kris41]

OK everyone, I need some help. We had a fox attack this afternoon. We have found two dead hens (I don't know why the fox didn't take them) so far. The others scattered or were killed too. We have had one roo return and then three young hens show up. Then their mother hen came back limping. I just checked her out and she has a hole about the size of a quarter in her back. Not too deep, but the skin is def ripped. What should I do, neosporin or blue coat? Also, any ideas why the fox wouldn't have taken the dead hens? Thanks alot.

Kristie

Thanks for all your help. She is doing well. I did have to stitch her up a bit. No more free ranging until that fox is shot. We are now down to only 4 hens.

I am going to try to fnd an incubator to borrow so I can hatch some new babies. As for the injured hen, I stitched her up and put on neosporin and then put her in with my 5 baby chicks and 1 baby duck. They are all about 1 mth old and they are in my sunroom with a heat lamp at night. The hen is doing great. She is up and walking around and eating and drinking fine. She is even tries to push the babies underneath her when she sits down. She is such a good momma. It is the funniest thing to watch her and then the duck cuddles up next to her also and kind of tucks her head in underneath the hen. I am watching them and they are not picking at her at all. Very respectful. Thanks for all your help.

Kristie

 

[Timmy]

are you sure it was a fox?

 

[artsyrobin]

kinda sounds more like feral dogs- but i would get neosporin on it first, kill the germs, then give her some tlc....

 

[kris41]

I'm sure it was a fox because I saw her. She was stalking one of our other hens. When it saw me, she just ran up our driveway and into the woods. Has anyone ever tried stitching up a tear? I think I am going to have to try it because it is bigger than I first thought and sliced right across her back. about 3 inches. I don't want to put her down if we don't have to and she is acting great right now. very alert but you can tell that she is sore. Thanks.

Kristie

 

[Keri78]

I'm so sorry for you!

Hope your hen heals up...

 

[Schultz]

I have not had to stitch up a hen but have heard it is pretty simple. I would try to help her if it were me. We have had coon attacks and good success with getting them back to health. Do what YOU feel is best an I hope someone can help with the stitching. Always remember, use Neosporin WITHOUT pain reliever!
Good luck, please keep us posted!

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

That's odd for the fox not to have taken one of them....you might have to sacrifice the chicken to have it tested for Rabies..I hate to say it..and I hope they can test it without destroying it first...keep us informed and Good luck.

 

[artsyrobin]

There was a thread, i think called glue chick, but anyway they used superglue- i'd have to find the post, but you might try that--- will find the thread and post it for you

 

[artsyrobin]

ok, here are a couple threads talking about it, i did a topic search, keyword glue

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=205625

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=250209

apparently the idea is to glue part of the wound closed, leaving a little open and put antibiotic on that....

 

[KybraBoss]

super glue was actually developed to fix head wounds in people so I can't see why it wouldn't work, how you do it I don't know, from doing taxidermy bird skin is very delicate so go carefully with plenty of sterilisation to stop infection. we don't have rabies in Australia so I don't know the problems associated with that disease.

foxes here are rife often we find that they'll just chew the heads off of the birds leaving the bodies. A vixen will take a bird back to the den if she has kits whch has given us a chance to destroy the den, but most times the vixen has move the kits out when she senses us coming, but if there is no young to feed they will go through a flock just for the thrill of the kill it seems.