Hurt chick

TG Chickmagnet

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5 Years
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Jun 7, 2014
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Bossier City, La.
Something grabbed one of my nine week old chickens and tried to pull it through the fence around it's coop. She has a large rip in her side where the leg attaches to the body. I've sprayed it with some medicated spray. She's alert and is starting to eat and drink again. Although she can not use the leg. I'm afraid she tore some tendons or ligaments. Any suggestions???????????
 
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Welcome to BYC!

I am so sorry about your chick. X2 on posting in the emergency section. But for now, I would separate this little one separated and keep her warm. Injured birds go into shock easily. So for a couple days, keep her under some heat. Trauma can cause her to go down hill 2 days later, so keep her warm. Keep her in a very small cage so she doesn't use the leg at all. Keep the food and water right in her face. And don't handle her so as to make it worse. Keep her in this tiny cage for a few weeks or until she starts to walk. If she still can't walk after a few weeks, you may need to put her down or make a house chicken out of her.

I would use something like a cream antibacterial ointment on it. Blu-kote can make the wound hard. Keep the would soft to heal faster. Keep her eating and drinking what ever she will eat during the recovery time. You might also put some antibiotics in her water as well if she starts to show signs of infection. But for now, stick with the antibiotic creams.

I hope she is going to be ok.
hugs.gif
 
Thank you for the help. That is pretty much what we have done so far. She likes to be next to the pen where her sisters are. So I guess I will build something she can stay in there.
 
The main thing I worry about in nice weather - is flies laying eggs in the wound. Maggots are the last thing on earth you want to deal with, so destructive that I would keep her indoors until healed over.

You have to fortify your coop, sounds like the typical raccoon. M.O. They love to pull body parts thru a fence and eat them on the spot. Get 1/2" hardware cloth for the perimeter of your run fencing. Run it from ground level to about 18" in height to prevent "take out" snacks.
 
The main thing I worry about in nice weather - is flies laying eggs in the wound. Maggots are the last thing on earth you want to deal with, so destructive that I would keep her indoors until healed over.

You have to fortify your coop, sounds like the typical raccoon. M.O. They love to pull body parts thru a fence and eat them on the spot. Get 1/2" hardware cloth for the perimeter of your run fencing. Run it from ground level to about 18" in height to prevent "take out" snacks.
I have used 'flyguard' on chickens before now....it's for guarding rabbits against flystrike but was effective on my roo when he tore his wing on a fence in mid summer. It is a spray on Ivermectin.
 
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Drumstick Diva x2. Sounds like a raccoon to me. They will do that. Like Drumstick said, use 1/2' hardware cloth around the bottom of the run and buried at least 8" in the ground and about 2' above ground. Raccoons can't get their paws through the wire and it will also keep other wild animals out. also cover the run with chicken wire to keep hawks from taking a quick lunch.
 

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