major chicken problem!! - Dog Attack

[chandal]

I have 4, 8 week old baby chicks severely hurt. My chihuahua grabbed them through the fence. They are all up and moving around fine, like there not hurt. 2 have major wing damage, all feathers are missing, bleeding to the bone. The one I'm most concerned for has stuff hanging out his chest, he acts just fine, eating and drinking, but what do I do with his insides sitting on his chest? What do I do? What do I treat with? Do I seperate them, they dont seem to peck eachother? Help never had this happen. Also my dog is part of my family, he wont leave chickens alone.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Sorry about the attack and your injured bird! You should defiantly separate him as the other will peck the stuff on his chest. What does this "stuff" look like? I would give him so probiotics in his water and maybe not allow him to eat for a day.

Also, you should post about him here https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

Good luck!

 

[gander007]

Alright

great to have you joining the BYC flock

BYC has a very useful learning center

Wow you need to clean them up so you can check for more damage and spray the lightly wounded with Bactine but your badly hurt guy needs some help and if you have a feed store that has horse type medicine you need to get some golden seal to help seal up the wound and this stuff really works fast ......

 

[drumstick diva]

Sorry to hear about the attack. Please replace your wire with 1/2" hardware cloth, so your Chihuahua can't get his snoot thru the bars. If you had some BIG rooster he would teach your dog to respect chickens.

Since he isn't going to give up mauling chickens you have to keep him away which means NO free ranging your birds because he will be loose some day and kill them all. It also means keeping your chickens inside a coop and run built like fort knox. And put a top on your run so the chickens cannot fly out and into his mouth.

You could also put a few strands of electric wire around the low part of your coop, so he learns going after chickens is painful.

I had no idea small breeds like Chihuahuas and doxies massacred chickens until I starting greeting new members and reading their tales of woe.

 

[iwiw60]

Excellent advice @drumstick diva !! I have a chihauhau also, and if given the chance she would tear my girls up also. But she doesn't get the chance because my coop and run are built like Ft. Knox. Use of 1/2" hardware cloth everywhere is a must. Chicken wire should be phased out entirely...it's worthless.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

X4 Dogs and chickens don't mix, no matter how tiny the dog. So definitely keep the dog locked up, or the chickens. You will want to post this in our emergency section for help with getting them healed up. I hope they all pull thru.