Injuried Austra-White please help!

[jardog1820]

One of my Austra Whites is/was quite an escape artist. Long story short she got out and was attacked by a dog. It looks like she took most of the attack on her lower back area. She is currently not walking very well and is sitting 99% of the day. She is also not very balanced and only using one wing. It's been 2 days since the attack and we have been babying her in hopes that she will turn around.

How long should we wait to cull or butcher her? She is one of my better layers so I would like to keep her if possible. But I don't want to wait too long and have her suffer of have the meat go bad.

What can I do to make her more comfortable? If healing is possible Is there anything I can do to make it easier on her?

 

[BuffOrpington88]

Isolate her. Have you cleaned the wound? If not, flush really well with saline or water, then put a triple antibiotic ointment or Blu-Kote on it. Make sure she is eating and drinking. Give her a mashed hard boiled egg and put electrolytes in her water. If she is not drinking, give her foods like watermelon and break them in pieces and drop in her water.
This sounds like a treatable injury, and it would be best not to cull her also because of the risk of disease.

 

[jardog1820]

Great advice! Thanks I'm new to the chicken scene so everything helps. I'm at work now but will stop at the feed store on the way home. There is no broken skin and really no disfigurement that I can tell. That's what making me think/fear it's her back or hip. She has been picked by a couple hens but my Roo has been protecting her from the hens. I will separate her as soon I get home. Thanks!

 

[BuffOrpington88]

Great! If she's able to walk normally, then she may just be stressed by her experience.
Good luck!

 

[terryg]

I had a hen that was plucked by a dog and looked like a supermarket chicken! She stayed quiet and barely moved for almost a week, but with care she grew all of her feathers back and returned to laying.

You can read what I did here:http://hencam.com/henblog/2008/06/buffys-ongoing-recovery/