how sick is this chick?

[Den]

My daughter and I just started raising 6 chickens. The coop and contained run is inside our 5' dog fence. We have 2 dogs one is a very meek service dog and the other is a mild mannered Chow. But the two decided one day that the chickens looked like GREAT toys. They made a hole in the run which one of the chickens decided she needed to stick her head out of. Luckily I saw them plucking her and saved the chicken but she has lost all of her feathers around the neck. We doctored her and got her back to health but blue coat and antipick spray has not worked when it comes to reintroducing her to the other 5. There is this one girl who insists on picking. So we have kept the chicken in the house, separated. Everybody takes turns in the yard: the big group of chickens, the solitary, the dogs (the Chow has been tied up until I decide what to do).

The problem is the injured bird is losing weight because she's not eating much. When she is out in the yard most of the time is spent circling the coop trying to find a way to get to the other birds. On top of that she has white flakes on her head now and she threw up the other day. It is like she is on hunger strike but if we put her with the others - I am afraid they will peck her to death since they peck her until she bleeds. Is there any hope for this bird, or should we just put her down.

Also we had a predator attack the flock and kill 2 of the birds. What animal can get over a 5' fence, get a bird and carry them back over the fence to eat it? I have set traps but so far nothing.

We love the chickens but boy has this been a hard few months.

 

[itsren]

I'm so sorry. Our new little flock recently survived a dog attack, so I understand how frustrating and scary dog attacks can be.

I'm sorry I can't help with how sick your chick is, but I can tell you what I learned about predators. Our neighbor lost a chicken and his chicken was taken over three 6-foot high fences before the feather trail disappeared. We live in a residential neighborhood, but everyone still thinks it was taken by either a bobcat or a coyote. Both of those animals can take a chicken over a fence. Our neighbor didn't have fencing over the top of the chicken run. I'd recommend putting fencing over the top.

I hope your little chick gets better.

 

[eamoret]

If you have six chickens, maybe you should split the group in half. Let her free range in the yard with the friendliest of the other birds who are not picking on her. I'm not so sure that isolation would make the situation any better, because when you do finally reintroduce her it could be an issue. I just recently added a solitary bird to my flock of twelve hens and they avoided her and picked at her when they could. I had to add four more to mix things up and really mess up the pecking order.

As far as predators, lots of critters could carry a chicken over a fence. A raccoon definitely could. So could a fox. I'm not so sure about a coyote though. They hunt in packs and you'd normally hear them yipping when they found something to eat. Foxes and raccoons are sly, coyotes.. not as much. Not in my experience anyways. Oh yeah, also.. hawks. I don't know how big your run is and whether it's large enough for a hawk to swoop down, grab it and take off with it but I've lost a chicken to a hawk before.

 

[Den]

Actually now I only have 4. My daughter wants to change that but I said not until we get things under control. I like the idea of splitting it up 2 & 2. Just so that white dandruff stuff is not some terrible disease.

The predator is not a hawk. I did not have the nesting box lid on tight and the animal took the lid off and picked them out like candy. We have coyotes in the area, but I am hoping for a raccoon - I can trap that.

Right now, for their protection, I am bringing them all into the house at night and putting them together. It's dark. I turn out the lights so nobody pecks and then get up early enough to get them out - before they start moving around to much,

 

[eamoret]

Concerning the white dandruff stuff, could it be feather dust? The reason I ask is you mentioned she was missing feathers. Have they begun to grow back in yet? If so, it could quite easily be feather dust. Also, check for lice. We just had to treat ours for poultry lice. Check her feathers all over and look quite closely for small white or gray lice, particularly around the vent. I usually find them around their head though. They can be anywhere, really. If it does have poultry lice, they are quite common, easy to treat and they can't be passed to humans.

 

[itsren]

If it does have poultry lice, they are quite common, easy to treat and they can't be passed to humans.

So the lice chickens get is not the same lice kids get in school?

 

[maggs470]

How old are your chicks? Perhaps you could separate the chick with the picking problem for a little bit while the injured one gets to hang out with the other, less aggressive chicks. There are several threads that talk about this issue in here...great help when you really need it!!

 

[maggs470]

Thank goodness, NO!! LOL Chicken lice feed on feathers & stuff, human lice feed on blood.

 

[itsren]

Thank goodness, NO!! LOL Chicken lice feed on feathers & stuff, human lice feed on blood.

 

[eamoret]

No, it's not. It's species specific.