My 6-mo old chicken was attacked 3 nights ago. I believe it was a racoon as I saw one fleeing as I approached my screaming hen.
She had not cooped herself and seemed to have gotten stuck behind our shed and our fence. A coon found her at bit a chunk from her leg (lower drumstick). The tendon and bones are exposed-about 2.5 inches above the lower joint. Not the meatiest part of the bone, but the skin on this side is gone.
I’ve trimmed her feathers, cleaned her with soap & water followed by antiseptic (hibiclens) and disinfectant (betadine), then triple-A ointment and bandaged her up. I have only been above to clean her 1x/day due to work & time.
We have been keeping her in our half bath that has a window so she can hear her friends and get light. She sits in a box all day. She stands on one leg here and there plus we hold her when we can to give her underside a break. When changing her bandages, it smells, so I fear gangrene. It is not red nor warm.
I still need to get her on antibiotics.
She has been a fabulous patient, no shock initially, but subdued for abt an hour after the attack. She has been eating a privileged diet and even laid her egg the next morning. She seems content and other than injured and lame, normal.
I am concerned that her bone will die as it is exposed. I am unsure of her muscle. There is no skin. We feel it would be better to amputate, but I don’t want to spend the money on it if she will not survive anyway. I know chickens are resilient animals and recover and heal from horrendous wounds. She can move it a bit, but she doesn’t use it yet. She is adapting by using her wings. Does anyone think she has a chance to keep/use her leg? Can she survive infection? Will she adapt to one leg?
She had not cooped herself and seemed to have gotten stuck behind our shed and our fence. A coon found her at bit a chunk from her leg (lower drumstick). The tendon and bones are exposed-about 2.5 inches above the lower joint. Not the meatiest part of the bone, but the skin on this side is gone.
I’ve trimmed her feathers, cleaned her with soap & water followed by antiseptic (hibiclens) and disinfectant (betadine), then triple-A ointment and bandaged her up. I have only been above to clean her 1x/day due to work & time.
We have been keeping her in our half bath that has a window so she can hear her friends and get light. She sits in a box all day. She stands on one leg here and there plus we hold her when we can to give her underside a break. When changing her bandages, it smells, so I fear gangrene. It is not red nor warm.
I still need to get her on antibiotics.
She has been a fabulous patient, no shock initially, but subdued for abt an hour after the attack. She has been eating a privileged diet and even laid her egg the next morning. She seems content and other than injured and lame, normal.
I am concerned that her bone will die as it is exposed. I am unsure of her muscle. There is no skin. We feel it would be better to amputate, but I don’t want to spend the money on it if she will not survive anyway. I know chickens are resilient animals and recover and heal from horrendous wounds. She can move it a bit, but she doesn’t use it yet. She is adapting by using her wings. Does anyone think she has a chance to keep/use her leg? Can she survive infection? Will she adapt to one leg?
