Is it better to let them die?

[Shadrach]

Hadn't

Hadn't really thought of them eating them, I just know, that where I worked, we always used anesthesia to do stitches due to discomfort causing wiggling, but could use staples on dogs and even some cats w/o it, without them reacting badly.
FYI, It is actually possible to do a form of elizabethan collar on a bird, you just do a donut out of fabric (a stuffed sock works well), and secure it under the wings.Just for those that may want to know. This works on rabbits too.

Ah yes, the Elizabethan collar, I remember them well. They were just going out of fashion when I was a boy.

The problem with the collars and the back saddles you can buy for hens that are getting their feathers damaged through mating is they get caught on branches, fences and all those other obstacles that feathers cope with by either squeezing through, or breaking off. I really want Mel to groom. A chicken that has lost interest in grooming isn’t a well chicken.

I would try it with Mel given she’s in the house and I can keep an eye on her, but thankfully she’s got the sense to leave the wounds alone.

What I’m more concerned about is on the advice of the vet I’m giving Mel a course of antibiotics.
I have to take the vets advice but I’ll be a lot happier and so will Mel when the course is finished.
Antibiotics are wonderful and they’ve saved a lot of lives but when I’ve been prescribed them they’ve made me feel like shite and I think they do the same for Mel.
A further problem is getting Mel to eat more than she is eating. Being a mother she feeds everything to the chick more or less, and eats a minimum survival diet. I’ve tried separating them while I feed Mel but Mel just drops the food on the floor. I’m hoping that tomorrow when the antibiotic course finishes Mel’s appetite will increase (I’ve read they suppress the appetite) and she’ll start putting on a bit more weight. She’s not getting much in the way of treat food, I want her to eat the layers pellets which provide a complete nutritional balance. In normal circumstances it wouldn’t matter because she would be outside foraging and in theory at least, would get what extra she needs from that.
Mel and her chick had an hour outside today. She flapped her wings for the first time since the attack today. I think she must be very sore still. Ideally I would like her back with her tribe within a week. My plan is take her outside for a bit longer each day until then. Hopefully the wound will have sealed by then. It’s got a couple of broken stitches already. I don’t know if the skin will ‘fill in’ or if further stitching will be needed. It’s not good for her or the chick stuck in my house. One day at a time I suppose.

 

[townchicks]

@Shadrach , yes the skin will fill in where the stitches came out, it's called "healing by second intention" technically, but really, all you need to know is it will just take a little longer in those area, and keep them clean. Under free range conditions, I would never recommend an e-collar, I'm glad that Mel is leaving her sutures alone. She's healing well. Antibiotics can upset the stomach, and I've had several dogs that would be really mopey when they are on them. If you can get probiotics there, or add some yogurt or fermented food, that would be good.She sure seems like a hen that was worth the extra effort.

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach , yes the skin will fill in where the stitches came out, it's called "healing by second intention" technically, but really, all you need to know is it will just take a little longer in those area, and keep them clean. Under free range conditions, I would never recommend an e-collar, I'm glad that Mel is leaving her sutures alone. She's healing well. Antibiotics can upset the stomach, and I've had several dogs that would be really mopey when they are on them. If you can get probiotics there, or add some yogurt or fermented food, that would be good.She sure seems like a hen that was worth the extra effort.

I give her live yogurt every other day.
I thought it might fill in but it's quite a big hole.

 

[townchicks]

Not as big as it would have been w/o the stitches. Have faith, it will just take longer, but I've seen wounds as big as my hand, heal up fine. Often there is a scar, but that will just add to Mel's street cred.

 

[Shadrach]

Mel finished her course of medication yesterday (antibiotics and Metacam).
The difference in her general demeanour today is remarkable.
The double cluck that reassures the chick is back and best of all, she’s bashing my leg again when she wants a walnut.

I had her outside for a couple of hours yesterday and she is very nervous; hardly surprising given what she’s been through. She’s sends her chick to cover at everything that flies and the poor chick just gets a dust bath dug and mum calls ‘take cover’.
This has been great for me, I’ve been able to hear the two sounds a mum uses to send the chick to cover and call it back when mum thinks the danger has past. As bonus, Mel spotted a snake on the bank below and the call to the chick was different.

While mel and her chick were outside Tribe 2 came around. Mel of course went into full battle order and Blue Spot, the nine year old senior hen (Bantam) who has been there, done that and got the T shirt, walked right up to Mel, gave the chick a gentle peck and then sauntered off again. The chic looked decidedly pissy but Mel just moved the chick and herself further away. Punch, the senior rooster of Tribe 2 and his eldest son Mag hung around for a few minutes not bothering Mel and the next thing I know, Cillin, Mels father and father of her chick is standing on the roof of my house (my house is built under ground) getting ready to fly down and chase Punch and son away.

How did he know that Tribe 2 was there? It’s possible he heard them making their way to my house but even then….

Cleaning Mel's wound has of course become more difficult. I put her on my lap but I need one hand to hold her wing up and the other to do the cleaning. I just get her in position and she turns away and tries to get off my lap. It takes a bit of firmness now which is also a good sign.

The next big step is going to be restoring Mel's confidence. It’s odd because the only other hen I’ve had that survived a Goshawk attack couldn’t wait to rejoin her tribe and get out and about again.
I’ll probably put Mel and her chick in the pet carrier tomorrow and go and find Tribe 1 (Mel’s family) and let her spend a while with them and hope they don’t all wander off somewhere inaccessible.

I think the chick is a female and she’s going to be awfully precocious from what I’ve seen so far.
She’s on the keyboard as I type this pecking at the number keys!

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

Thats fantastic! Im so glad she's healing and getting stronger.
I think your idea of puting her in a crate and gathering her tribe around her is a great one! Im curious.. could you put her in the crate in their coop overnight with them? It might help reintegrate her and her chick faster and eaiser.
Her chick sounds like a lil bugger.
But a fun one!

 

[Shadrach]

Thats fantastic! Im so glad she's healing and getting stronger.
I think your idea of puting her in a crate and gathering her tribe around her is a great one! Im curious.. could you put her in the crate in their coop overnight with them? It might help reintegrate her and her chick faster and eaiser.
Her chick sounds like a lil bugger.
But a fun one!

I'm not expecting any problems re-integrating Mel. She hatched her chick in the tribe coop and Cillin, her dad and father of her chick is a gentle creature.
Fat Bird, the senior hen can be a bit bossy but the chick was under her feet often before the attack. My reluctance to put Mel back with her tribe now has to do with cleanliness; and accessibility. They go places I just can't get too.

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

I'm not expecting any problems re-integrating Mel. She hatched her chick in the tribe coop and Cillin, her dad and father of her chick is a gentle creature.
Fat Bird, the senior hen can be a bit bossy but the chick was under her feet often before the attack. My reluctance to put Mel back with her tribe now has to do with cleanliness; and accessibility. They go places I just can't get too.

Ah.. i get ya. Keeping her wound clean is top priority.

Oh.. and Id love to see pics of your underground house if possible..

 

[Shadrach]

Oh.. and Id love to see pics of your underground house if possible..

I don’t see why not. The thread is quite old, but I’ll post as the chicken casualties as they come and go.
I became interested in earth bermed building when I was doing a degree.
I designed this building having discovered that contrary to my expectations it got very cold here in the winter. I didn’t come to Spain to be cold.
The ground work and the shell was built by some local builders and me.
I did the woodwork, windows, door, ceiling, kitchen, some of the electrics and plumbing and the all the interior. The electricity comes from the main house to the cupboard outside which also stores the butane for cooking and hot water. The hot water is a mixed system, part solar, part butane and butane fired water heater.
The log burner provides heat in the winter.
The exterior is very well insulated and the building gets morning solar gain through the windows which face East. It’s very cheap to run.
The pictures are dated and when the chickens started coming into the house the rugs had to come up.
Surprisingly the chickens don’t go in the bedroom unless I put them there, they don’t go on the work surfaces either. They seem content on the floor, the nest box and the chairs. The door is always open and they come and go as they please. It’s the safest place here.

There are couple of pictures of the lamps I make. I shall probably start a thread for these one day.

 

[bobbi-j]

Very interesting, Shadrach!