My dog was eating my chicken alive...

[lswatson111304]

Seriously, I wanted to boot him to china. We took in a stray puppy about a month ago. He was very young and flea covered..I didn't have the heart to leave him alone where I found him. Anyway, he has been showing interest in the chickens, hanging out by their run. Well I was in my car about to leave when I noticed one of my babies had flown out of the run. So I got out put it back in, and got back in the car. I look up and the pup is eating one of my pullets (she had flown out as well, I must not have noticed her when I got the baby. I run over there and grab her, she was frozen, but alive. I checked her and he had eaten a ton of her feathers off her back and she was bleeding. I had to go so I placed her back in the run. I didn't have time to treat her or anything. As soon as she was back in her home, she acted fine, walked around ate and drank. I got home this evening, and same. She is acting fine. I plan to get her in the house tomorrow to clean her wounds and stuff, but what do I put on them so she hopefully doesn't get infected? Is it ok for her to be in with the rest or does she need to be taken out and alone to heal? I had such a busy day today and a pounding headache all day to go with it that I feel terrible that I didn't have time to better treat her today.

also, what do I do about they flying out? Should I put wire across the top of the run?

 

[nakstk]

We use bird netting to cover our run. She will need to be separated until you get the blood cleaned up, the others will peck at it. You should put Blue Kote on the wounds to prevent infection.

 

[PD-Riverman]

If you do not let them free range you can clip their wing feathers so they can not fly, but I would not cut them if you let them out to free range. You can pick up some cheap bird netting at Lowes and put it over the top of your chicken yard.

 

[lswatson111304]

Well ive clipped her wings aready. She is persistant. I havent clipped the younger birds. They are 1.5 months old.

Excuse typos sent from my phone!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Do this, re-clip one wing closer. My mother and her mother always clipped one wing and neither had a top over the chicken yard. I do not know how often you need to reclip the wings but I would say if one flys out----that one needs to be reclipped.