A few days ago my husband woke to the sound of chicken screams and went outside to investigate. He didn't see anything unusual, except that one chicken was out of the coop. He assumed all the commotion was the other hens trying to call her back to the coop. So he put her back inside the coop and went back to bed thinking the problem solved.
The next morning he went out to check on them and discovered our chicken, Mabel, dead by the fence. The other two were still in the coop, and only Matilda seemed to have sustained any minor injuries and scratches, mostly on the head in the back part of her comb.
He assumed it was a local dog who had squeezed through the fence, since once our own dog had escaped the yard using that same place in the fence where Mabel's body was found.
When I told the people next door what had happened they offered to keep their own two dogs inside at night, just in case it could have been either of them who had committed the chicken murder. I offered up the theory of a raccoon or even a fox, but my husband thought a dog was much more likely and I had to agree that since there were always several dogs running loose on our little neighborhood, a dog attack was the obvious conclusion.
Since then, for the last few days, I have kept the two remaining chickens inside a cage and pulled it into the laundry room at night. Last night, both my husband and I forgot to pull their cage inside after taking them out to the back porch for some fresh air in the afternoon.
He woke up at 4 am to chicken noises (unfortunately I sleep through anything) and went (naked I might add)to the back porch in time to see a huge raccoon trying to drag the entire chicken cage down the porch steps. He had to throw a milk crate at the thing before he would give in and leave.
This morning around 11 am he woke me up and explained everything that had happened in the night. He also told me that both of them were still alive but one had some injuries to her comb and seemed so traumatized that she wouldn't even walk around anymore, but that she was just sitting there with a dazed look on her face.
At first I thought he meant the injuries that I had noticed on her comb the other night after the first attack, but when I went to look at her I saw that it was now much much worse, almost her entire comb is missing now.
When I brought them both fresh water and food I saw to my horror that one of her feet is missing almost all the toes, and the remaining toe is broken in the middle and pointing to the side.
Matilda (that is her name), is a very brave chicken and protective of her sisters. I imagine she tried to protect her remaining sister in the attack and thanks to her bravery the other chicken seems to be untouched. She is resting on a bag of pine chips and I have placed her water and food right next to her. She is happily drinking and eating with enthusiasm thank goodness.
As of earlier, she was able to slowly hobble around on her hurt foot enough to get from one place to another.
I put some anti-bacterial ointment on her comb wounds and some on her hurt toe on her less injured foot. That foot seems to be injured right at the ends of the toes only. So I have high hopes that it can be saved if infection doesn't set in.
My hope is that I can save her, and that she will one day be able to live a normal chicken life again.
She has fought twice now to protect her sisters and to retain her place on the planet. I just want to give her every chance possible. She deserves that much.
I also want to do what's best for her as far as her own pain and suffering. I don't know if the missing toes give her any pain, but I can tell that the broken one is sensitive at best, maybe agonizing at worst.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma it's a Saturday, and all the vets are closed. I called one emergency vet who said he would call me when he came back in for the afternoon shift, but he said right away that it was very bad that her foot was injured and he didn't hold out much hope although he agreed that we should give it a shot and try to save her despite the grim circumstances.
Sorry to make this post so darn long, but I am really upset , especially after hearing the grave tone of the vet. I just need to write it all out somewhere and maybe see if anyone has gone through a similar experience.
I know that as long as that raccoon is out there they won't ever be safe. I know there are live traps, and I know that raccoons carry diseases, but I don't know if I can shoot or otherwise exterminate something that looks like a Disney character come to life. What he has done to my sweet chickens horrifies me, and I should be happy to eliminate him in the name of revenge, but I don't know if I have it in me. I'll deal with things one step at a time and first and foremost is saving Matilda. Any ideas what I should do to help her? any other chickens out there with missing toes living happy lives? Thanks in advance for any helpful advice and thanks for reading this long rambling post. I know people on here understand how a person can love a chicken.
The next morning he went out to check on them and discovered our chicken, Mabel, dead by the fence. The other two were still in the coop, and only Matilda seemed to have sustained any minor injuries and scratches, mostly on the head in the back part of her comb.
He assumed it was a local dog who had squeezed through the fence, since once our own dog had escaped the yard using that same place in the fence where Mabel's body was found.
When I told the people next door what had happened they offered to keep their own two dogs inside at night, just in case it could have been either of them who had committed the chicken murder. I offered up the theory of a raccoon or even a fox, but my husband thought a dog was much more likely and I had to agree that since there were always several dogs running loose on our little neighborhood, a dog attack was the obvious conclusion.
Since then, for the last few days, I have kept the two remaining chickens inside a cage and pulled it into the laundry room at night. Last night, both my husband and I forgot to pull their cage inside after taking them out to the back porch for some fresh air in the afternoon.
He woke up at 4 am to chicken noises (unfortunately I sleep through anything) and went (naked I might add)to the back porch in time to see a huge raccoon trying to drag the entire chicken cage down the porch steps. He had to throw a milk crate at the thing before he would give in and leave.
This morning around 11 am he woke me up and explained everything that had happened in the night. He also told me that both of them were still alive but one had some injuries to her comb and seemed so traumatized that she wouldn't even walk around anymore, but that she was just sitting there with a dazed look on her face.
At first I thought he meant the injuries that I had noticed on her comb the other night after the first attack, but when I went to look at her I saw that it was now much much worse, almost her entire comb is missing now.
When I brought them both fresh water and food I saw to my horror that one of her feet is missing almost all the toes, and the remaining toe is broken in the middle and pointing to the side.
Matilda (that is her name), is a very brave chicken and protective of her sisters. I imagine she tried to protect her remaining sister in the attack and thanks to her bravery the other chicken seems to be untouched. She is resting on a bag of pine chips and I have placed her water and food right next to her. She is happily drinking and eating with enthusiasm thank goodness.
As of earlier, she was able to slowly hobble around on her hurt foot enough to get from one place to another.
I put some anti-bacterial ointment on her comb wounds and some on her hurt toe on her less injured foot. That foot seems to be injured right at the ends of the toes only. So I have high hopes that it can be saved if infection doesn't set in.
My hope is that I can save her, and that she will one day be able to live a normal chicken life again.
She has fought twice now to protect her sisters and to retain her place on the planet. I just want to give her every chance possible. She deserves that much.
I also want to do what's best for her as far as her own pain and suffering. I don't know if the missing toes give her any pain, but I can tell that the broken one is sensitive at best, maybe agonizing at worst.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma it's a Saturday, and all the vets are closed. I called one emergency vet who said he would call me when he came back in for the afternoon shift, but he said right away that it was very bad that her foot was injured and he didn't hold out much hope although he agreed that we should give it a shot and try to save her despite the grim circumstances.
Sorry to make this post so darn long, but I am really upset , especially after hearing the grave tone of the vet. I just need to write it all out somewhere and maybe see if anyone has gone through a similar experience.
I know that as long as that raccoon is out there they won't ever be safe. I know there are live traps, and I know that raccoons carry diseases, but I don't know if I can shoot or otherwise exterminate something that looks like a Disney character come to life. What he has done to my sweet chickens horrifies me, and I should be happy to eliminate him in the name of revenge, but I don't know if I have it in me. I'll deal with things one step at a time and first and foremost is saving Matilda. Any ideas what I should do to help her? any other chickens out there with missing toes living happy lives? Thanks in advance for any helpful advice and thanks for reading this long rambling post. I know people on here understand how a person can love a chicken.
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