"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[Ron Skekel]

Hey, everybody. I hope you are all doing well. I'm looking for some help with my sweet RIR from my experienced BYC peeps.

Last Saturday (so this happened over a week ago) our friend came over and then let his dog off of his leash. He attacked my RIR (Ariel) and got a huge chunk of feathers. There are no feathers on her entire underside. I didn't see any wounds at the time, so I didn't do anything about it. Then a couple of days ago I noticed her walking strangely, with her tail down and with a little bit of a wobble. I checked her again and found wounds. My husband and I cleaned them out and put EMT Gel on them. Then we separated her from the rest of the flock because they were all pecking at her. The next day we were going to give her a big bath and when we did, she was covered in maggots. So we soaked them off of her and picked as many off as possible. We then moved her chicken hospital room into our kitchen to keep her away from flies. Today I've already bathed her twice and am still pulling more maggots off. The maggots are under feathers everywhere, not even near the wound. 

I also think she is egg bound. I've tried to feed her some kiwi and a crumbled up tums for calcium to help her get it out. She doesn't want to eat. I've tried massaging it. I've tried to stick a gloved finger up there, but she clenches her vent very tight every time and I can't get in there. She managed to get a poop out after her last bath, but that's it. After that it was liquid again. The reason I think she is egg bound is because I feel a mass on her tummy which could be an egg. Also, she hasn't been pooping or laying. The egg may be blocking that part from opening up.

I need help. I'm worried for my girl.

Wow you have several things going on. For egg bound give warm epson salt soaks. I think if you could feel an egg with your finger she may not be bound but stoped laying when stressed.After your next bath with I would give a salt soak. Dry her remove any magots apply Blue cote to wounds. Feed her raw of scrambled eggs. I would try corod in her water for runny stool. Check back tomorrow let us know it she had any changes etc. Pam

 

[LemonMeringue]

I have this pretty pullet that is a new layer. So far she has laid 5 eggs. She is a black copper marans. Her 1st egg had a powdery coating over the dark color and then spots added on to of that. 2nd egg looked normal, dark brown. 3rd had partial powdery coating BUT I could see that the egg had leaned up against another egg while it was forming the shell because that light color was missing in a circle on both sides. So 4th and 5th eggs came today 4th was kind of like 3 showing the area where it was leaned up against another. And 5 has a flat-ish slightly wrinkled side where it was leaned against another egg.

Seriously. Get. It. Together girl!!! She is happy as a clam too. Checking out nest boxes, eating and drinking. Playing and being a happy chicken. And every single egg was laid in the ground is sand.

I think I'll give her some vitamins tomorrow, but I don't know what else if anything, I could do to help her regulate her egg laying.

 

[KimmyIsRad]

I was surprised at how deep the wounds were on my rooster. I found that squirting the iodine into the wounds and gently massaging helped a lot as it forced the deep maggots out.

Like you, I hadn't noticed anything wrong until he was standing with his tail down. I am guessing that he was bitten about 4 or 5 days before I found the problem. I am somewhat fortunate that I didn't have the egg issue to deal with. I considered giving him an antibiotic (injected or in drinking water), but he was showing signs of improvement before I could get to a store, and so I didn't. good luck - treating this is not for the squeamish.

Definitely not for the squeamish, haha! I haven't eaten much today just because all food looks like maggots to me right now. I'm also very glad that my husband is the one that found the big wounds and not me! I had already bathed her and everything a few times today and I was just so grossed out that I asked him to do it this time. It was SO GROSS. He was digging into it and everything. Man.

I might get some antibiotics tomorrow if she makes it through the night. She is in bad shape right now. Cross your fingers!

 

[LemonMeringue]

Eggs 1, 2 and 3 are both picture, 4 and 5 are above that.

Edited to add that the first egg which is on the left, bottom picture, turns very dark when it gets water on it.

 

[KimmyIsRad]

Wow Kimmy! I'm so glad you found that other wound! I learned a lot by the responses you got and think I might need to add some more things to my first aid kit. I really hope she makes it.

Me too. Thanks for everything!

 

[Ron Skekel]

We just found another huge wound that we hadn't noticed before. There were tons of maggots inside. My husband just sat there and pulled as many out as possible with a  pair of tweezers. They were crawling up under her skin, and burrowing further. There are probably still many more that we cant reach under her skin. She isn't eating, pooping, or laying. She doesn't move much either. She must be in a lot of pain. I'm so depressed about this. I hope she makes it through the night! 

My husband also tried to check for a bound egg but he didn't feel anything. She does have a bulge though. So scary not knowing. This chicken was my first layer ever.

Try to be calm. Don't worry about her not laying right now. Betadine diluted in water will do the same as the iodine aptrex was talking about. Hopefully you have it on hand. Lets cure the maggots and get her on the way to healing the wounds then we will address the egg if she doesn't start laying. I've had several survive bad attacks they all stop laying while healing. If you and your husban didn't feel an egg then she isn't bound. Pam

 

[KimmyIsRad]

Wow you have several things going on. For egg bound give warm epson salt soaks. I think if you could feel an egg with your finger she may not be bound but stoped laying when stressed.After your next bath whit I would maks a salt soak. Dry her remove any magots apply Blue cote to wounds. Feed her raw of scrambled eggs. I would try corod in her water for runny stool. Check back tomorrow let us know it she had any changes etc. Pam

I've been soaking her in warm water, but I haven't tried salts yet. My husband couldn't feel an egg when he stuck his finger inside, and he stuck it pretty far in. She might have just stopped laying because of how miserable she is. I've been trying to feed her scrambled eggs too, but she won't eat them. She won't eat anything. What is blue cote?

 

[KimmyIsRad]

Try to be calm. Don't worry about her not laying right now. Betadine diluted in water will do the same as the iodine aptrex was talking about. Hopefully you have it on hand. Lets cure the maggots and get her on the way to healing the wounds then we will address the egg if she doesn't start laying. I've had several survive bad attacks they all stop laying while healing. If you and your husban didn't feel an egg then she isn't bound. Pam

I'm not worried about her not laying, I'm concerned about her health at the moment, haha. I don't have any of those items, but we do have peroxide. When I googled, it recommended using that so we've been using it.

 

[Ron Skekel]

I have this pretty pullet that is a new layer. So far she has laid 5 eggs. She is a black copper marans. Her 1st egg had a powdery coating over the dark color and then spots added on to of that. 2nd egg looked normal, dark brown. 3rd had partial powdery coating BUT I could see that the egg had leaned up against another egg while it was forming the shell because that light color was missing in a circle on both sides. So 4th and 5th eggs came today 4th was kind of like 3 showing the area where it was leaned up against another. And 5 has a flat-ish slightly wrinkled side where it was leaned against another egg.

Seriously. Get. It. Together girl!!! She is happy as a clam too. Checking out nest boxes, eating and drinking. Playing and being a happy chicken. And every single egg was laid in the ground is sand.

I think I'll give her some vitamins tomorrow, but I don't know what else if anything, I could do to help her regulate her egg laying.

I think it will fix on its own. She is a new layer give her a little time. I know you know the powdery stuff is excess calcium. Pam

 

[Ron Skekel]

I'm not worried about her not laying, I'm concerned about her health at the moment, haha. I don't have any of those items, but we do have peroxide. When I googled, it recommended using that so we've been using it.

Step away from the peroxide> New studies show peroxide isn't good for animals. Use betadine diluted with water. The blue cote is for the wounds her flock mates won't peck Blue wounds. It also contains and antibacterial too. So it will help heal plus keep hens from pecking. Even my vet has told me to stop useing peroxide. Now that I've caught up and read Aptreyx's post he has dealt with it. I know and respect him. Have ment him in person. I would do what he did but use betadine it's iodine dilute in distilled water. This is what I used to bring mine back to life after a severe dog attack. Pam