I'm at war with racoons.

[Chicky D]

Does that help? That yellowish area is actually her back bone

 

[orrpeople]

Okay. I'm getting a better idea. Poor thing. It's hard to tell from pics if there's visible infection - any angry red areas? Is she still eating? Drinking?
One of my girls had a pretty big, ugly fly strike wound (the maggots had begun to eat her alive ) that was non-stitchable. It's pretty amazing how she healed up with constant care. She lived on the ottoman and ate watermelon and meal worms for a week.
Like you said, if your girl makes it through the shock and you can keep her from getting infected, she will probably heal up.

 

[Chicky D]

Damn, that's the problem. They don't want to kill them so they drop them off for someone else to have a problem.

Okay. I'm getting a better idea. Poor thing. It's hard to tell from pics if there's visible infection - any angry red areas? Is she still eating? Drinking?
One of my girls had a pretty big, ugly fly strike wound (the maggots had begun to eat her alive ) that was non-stitchable. It's pretty amazing how she healed up with constant care. She lived on the ottoman and ate watermelon and meal worms for a week.
Like you said, if your girl makes it through the shock and you can keep her from getting infected, she will probably heal up.

I actually picked her and the other one up immediately after the attack and wrapped them up to prevent shock before i even looked at the damage. That was about 530am i flushed abothe wound about 2 hours later when i realized they were still alive. They've been in the crates ever since, inside. Except when I take them out for thier flush and bedding change. She has been eating a lil and drinking with my help. That yellowish color in the crate is yolk I fed her.

 

[Chicky D]

No angry red areas. Been applying AAA Antibiotic on sterile towels from work, I do worry about infection though. Ugh....another long night.

 

[techbsmith]

Damn... So sorry about the attack, hope your sweet girls make it! Good luck with getting rid of the buggers, I'm currently fighting off coyotes.

 

[orrpeople]

No angry red areas. Been applying AAA Antibiotic on sterile towels from work, I do worry about infection though. Ugh....another long night.

Can you get a wound wash at your local pharmacy? It was very handy to be able to spray it on, then allow it to dry a bit before putting on the antibiotic ointment. (Make sure none of the treatments have pain killer in them.)
I also made a betadine and warm water bath for her and had her soak 15 minutes morning and evening followed by a blow dry.
Electrolytes in the drinking water are important as well (Pedialyte, Gatorade, Sav-a-chick) and a good fast acting vitamin like Nutri drench are also important at this stage.

Also, in the stories of terrible wounds, I had a horse that got himself stuck in a manzanita bush and stabbed his neck - it was a deep, horrible gash. Again, lots of cleaning and antibiotics...he healed up beautifully.

I'm definitely hoping the very best for you and your birds.

 

[Chicky D]

Damn... So sorry about the attack, hope your sweet girls make it! Good luck with getting rid of the buggers, I'm currently fighting off coyotes.

Actually I thought it was coyotes at first. They are bad to but so far I haven't had a problem with them but those dang racoons with thier human like hands are monsters. They're smart too. Good luck with the coyote problem. Follow my lead and shot them too. I've never killed an animal but I'm ready now.

 

[Chicky D]

Can you get a wound wash at your local pharmacy? It was very handy to be able to spray it on, then allow it to dry a bit before putting on the antibiotic ointment. (Make sure none of the treatments have pain killer in them.)
I also made a betadine and warm water bath for her and had her soak 15 minutes morning and evening followed by a blow dry.
Electrolytes in the drinking water are important as well (Pedialyte, Gatorade, Sav-a-chick) and a good fast acting vitamin like Nutri drench are also important at this stage.

Also, in the stories of terrible wounds, I had a horse that got himself stuck in a manzanita bush and stabbed his neck - it was a deep, horrible gash. Again, lots of cleaning and antibiotics...he healed up beautifully.

I'm definitely hoping the very best for you and your birds.

Thank you so much for your advice, I will maybe start soaking them tomorrow. Just flushing now to prevent anymore stress.

 

[ChickenGoesRuff]

So sorry about your birds! I had a coon problem 2 years into owning chickens, (kept getting my little silkies) we just couldn't catch or shoot him, so one night Mr. Raccoon must have stumbled across some fly bait and sweet, sugary soda. (It'd been being set out for maybe 4 nights? - secured away during the day to be safe) Found him dead in the morning. I have *no* idea what happened.
If some fly bait and soda happen to end up in a bowl by your coop, just make sure all pets and livestock cannot get to it!!!
ETA: I have always been an animal lover, and as a high school student at the time when Mr. Coon was an issue, the thought of having to dispatch an animal (personally) was traumatizing. I went with this option as it was effective (according to my dad's old farm tales), killed quickly, and seemed the best option in my case. Obviously might not be perfect for every situation, and use caution if you decide to go this route.

 

[ecorso]

We have had raccoons and opossums for years, and they have access to both our chickens and our bunnies. They have never harmed a single living animal. They do eat any cat food and sometimes chicken food if left out and may or may not take an egg or two. I have a surveillance camera and see them coming and going - the raccoons, opposums, armadillos and our feral (trap, neuter and return) cats. They would rather forage for food than risk injury from an animal with claws, spurs, beaks or teeth. I recently lost two free ranging roosters to a red-tailed hawk, but never to another critter. I shoo the opossum and rooster out if the big barn But they don’t then go into the chicken run or bunny run. I find it very puzzling that so many others are having problems with them. We also have great-horned owls hunting on our property at night and coyotes come through the neighbors’ yeards, but go around ours. It is truly puzzling why they are a problem for some but not for many of us. No one else in the neighborhood has lost any to wildlife either, only to loose/stray dogs! The cats, chickens, raccoons, opossums, rabbits all seem to respect each other.