Multiple wounds on hen, graphic pictures - Patches two weeks later!

[Sjisty]

We came home this afternoon to find all our chickens huddled in the front corner of the yard, so we knew we had a problem. I went looking in the back yard and found one of my hens, alive, with multiple wounds on her back and sides. She has some straight wounds that look like cuts and others that are superficial areas that have no skin or feathers, about the size of a quarter. She has a sideways straight cut above her tail.

I brought her in the house and she is eating fine. I think she will be okay, but am at a loss as to what might have done this. Any ideas?

As a note, we do have two dogs that have NEVER harmed the chickens before.

I took these pictures today, Monday, the day after it happened. The first and third pictures are of the same spot on about the center of her back. The second picture is on her side. I did not want to stress her too much, so these are the only pictures I got.

 

[jjthink]

Poor dear - I hope she'll be okay.

Not sure what attacked her

You all set on wound treatment etc.?

JJ

 

[Sjisty]

She's in the house, nice and cozy. Her wounds are clean. I'm not going to bandage her - there's too many areas to try to cover, but they have been cleaned and betadined. She ate about a dozen mealworms and a scrambled egg, and other than being sore, I think she's going to be fine. We have probably gained another house chicken.

My thought is she was initially hit by a hawk, because of the cut wounds on her back. What I am afraid of is that one of our dogs is responsible for the other surface wounds. I really hope not. Our chickens are not afraid of our dogs and they have never done anything like that before, but most animals will pick on the injured or weak.

 

[jjthink]

Sending good thoughts for your girl today.

JJ

 

[Sjisty]

Thanks, JJ

She's pretty sore but eating well and looks bright. Her wounds look dry. She's not walking much yet. She looks like she was pretty mauled with 6-7 superficial quarter-sized wounds where the skin is gone and a couple of deep straight cuts.

I'm just so bummed out thinking that my dog did this, but I can't imagine what else it could be. The dog and chickens are always in the yard together and today there have been no problems so far. I jump to check every time I hear a chicken! I may be finding a home for the dog that I suspect. Our other dog is 14+ years old and the chickens huddle up to her when it's cold out, so I know it's not her.

 

[Sjisty]

My poor baby is feeling much better today. I was able to have hubby hold her and get a good look at her. I have to say, it's amazing what a chicken can go through and survive! She has bites, cuts, and scrapes all over her body. They all look clean and the smaller ones are scabbing over. She looks like she went through a meat grinder. Her fuzzy butt is completely gone on one side but the skin looks okay. I treated all the wounds with an antibiotic ointment and she is back in the kitchen after being outside in the sun for about an hour today (with me at her side). She walked across the kitchen floor today! She is eating and drinking well, but her poo is very runny. I'm hoping that will sort itself out.

By the way, she earned a name - Patches!

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
It sounds like she's well on her way to recovery and that's good news. Give her some plain yogurt or buttermilk mixed with crushed boiled egg. That should help out. Keep her warm and keep treating the wounds. I suspect the culprit was one of your dogs, a mauling...and I think you suspect it as well. I believe a hawk wouldve ripped her open and wouldve left a pile of feathers.(from what I've seen in pics on here in hawk attacks on chickens) sorry so graphic. As long as she's eating and drinking, she'll be good to go, time will heal.

 

[Jane Jill Jack]

If you live in a rural area, a coyote or fox could've dug a hole under the enclosed area and snuck in, and ran away if the chickens attacked him back, and a cat could've done the same. Rats can get big, and have been known to eat chicks and kill helpelss hens as well. My dad once came back from work to find his few chicks just killed and not all of them were even eaten! You should check for holes and if you find any, load your shotgun and let the hunting dogs out.

 

[Sjisty]

It was our younger dog. We caught him in the act of catching one of my cockerels yesterday. Luckily we were there in time so he didn't have time to do more than get a mouthful of feathers. Within minutes, he went after another of our roos with me outside watching! He has now found a new home without chickens. He has never done anything like this before, but we had a problem a couple of weeks ago with a neighbor's dogs coming into our front yard and killing our chickens, so I think Rusty watched and decided it might be a fun sport to do the same in the back yard.

Anyway, Patches is getting very spoiled, in my kitchen and eating everything we put in front of her. She is well on the mend.

 

[Bizzybirdy]

Definitely DOG! Anything else would have eaten some part of her. My neighbors dog came into my barn last week, through my woven wire fence, and killed one of my EE's...her body looked just like your photos plus she had slobber on her. Their dog is a known chicken killer and they just turned it loose to kill my hen and my female duck. What MORONS! Won't happen again...

Glad you found the killer dog another home. I had that problem with a Gr. Pyrenees last year. She was sooo sneaky and once she started killing she never stopped. I found her a home with people that had no chickens.