- Mar 26, 2010
- 16
- 2
- 22
When it rains it pours, and I've got a flood today.
From the top:
Three of my hens managed to escape their temporary yard, and the puppy dutifully captured two of them. By the time I found the awhile later, one was on her back, wings askew and the other was sitting in the grass in shock. I put her in the coop in a nesting box to keep her still. Her wings are sort of hanging loose, but I can't tell if they are broken, injured, or just there because she's shocky. She is standing and alert, but the wings don't stay up.
The "dead" hen on her back was miraculously still alive. Very much plucked along her back with a big rip in her skin, about 2" long and 1" across. The meat is okay, but very open. I set her up alone in the barn in a little nest with a heat lamp. She's really beat up, so wondering what I can do for her in terms of medication, food or drink to help her hang in there. The wounds look fairly superficial, but I don't like her energy level.
Finally, when I was getting the heat lamp out of my brooder AKA horse trailer, I discovered one of the runty white rocks I'm holding there has been totally pecked up by his four siblings. Half of his butt is missing! They've pecked a good chunk off his hind end since morning. Ironically, he's up and lively but very raw. Should I try to dress the wound, or just keep it clean and let him recover in isolation? He's in a clean stall with the plucked hen for now, but might need to move him when he discovers she is there.
So, what do I do now??? Food, water, medication. Each has a different injury and different level of alertness. I sure don't want to lose any birds!
Lisa in Ontario.
From the top:
Three of my hens managed to escape their temporary yard, and the puppy dutifully captured two of them. By the time I found the awhile later, one was on her back, wings askew and the other was sitting in the grass in shock. I put her in the coop in a nesting box to keep her still. Her wings are sort of hanging loose, but I can't tell if they are broken, injured, or just there because she's shocky. She is standing and alert, but the wings don't stay up.
The "dead" hen on her back was miraculously still alive. Very much plucked along her back with a big rip in her skin, about 2" long and 1" across. The meat is okay, but very open. I set her up alone in the barn in a little nest with a heat lamp. She's really beat up, so wondering what I can do for her in terms of medication, food or drink to help her hang in there. The wounds look fairly superficial, but I don't like her energy level.
Finally, when I was getting the heat lamp out of my brooder AKA horse trailer, I discovered one of the runty white rocks I'm holding there has been totally pecked up by his four siblings. Half of his butt is missing! They've pecked a good chunk off his hind end since morning. Ironically, he's up and lively but very raw. Should I try to dress the wound, or just keep it clean and let him recover in isolation? He's in a clean stall with the plucked hen for now, but might need to move him when he discovers she is there.
So, what do I do now??? Food, water, medication. Each has a different injury and different level of alertness. I sure don't want to lose any birds!
Lisa in Ontario.
