My poor Cottonball!!!!! [RIP Cottonball]

[Desirai]

Update.... Cottonball didn't make it. I cried.


I walked into my coop to feed and water my chickens this morning and was greeted with a horrifying scene.

My poor rooster Cottonball being eaten alive by ants!!

It was so horrible. I rushed into my coop, he was laying in a corner smashed against the wall, ants were all over him.

I snatched him up and brought him out onto the grass and started dumping water on him to try and get all the ants off of him, then I rushed him to a vet.

The vet said somehow he injured himself OR another chicken injured him. He can't/won't stand or draw his wings up against his body. He's bloody underneath his wing.

The vet gave him an anti inflammatory and a pain reliever. he's sleeping in my room right now.

I've been so worried about bears and coyotes and raccoons, I never thought I would almost lose a chicken to ANTS.........

Is there anything I can do for my poor darling?

 

[RoosterAddict99]

Your poor chicken!!! I never thought ants could harm a chicken! Follow your vets advice and spoil Cottonball as much as you can!!! Whenever my chickens are sick, I give them rice as a special treat. God bless you and Cottonball!!!

 

[bucky52]

poor baby.i seen some ants in my run the other day.and springle de on them.

 

[sumi]

Poor baby! Hope he gets better quick. Keep us posted on how he's doing?

 

[coffeenutdesign]

Wow, I never thought of ants either! Which is crazy because we get fire ants and they'll latch onto anything for no reason. The chickens won't eat them, but I never thought of them eating a chicken. This reminds me that I actually need to find my ant bait because I found a mound in the yard.

I hope your poor roo recovers quickly!

 

[earlybird10842]

Give him a nice warm bath, And pour some hydrogen peroxide on the ant area.

 

[Desirai]

hi everyone, Cottonball is alive, I guess he's feeling better because he's clucking a little bit when I check on him.

I have him in a box wrapped in blankets and towels. He's sleeping and snoring, which is cute.

Going to try and give him some water..

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

Oh, poor thing! Hope Cottonball gets better, prayers for you and him!

 

[Desirai]

well, Cottonball survived the night.. his poor little eyelids are swollen shut this morning. I need to bathe him, he's covered in chicken poop..
I got him to drink some water just now.

He can't/won't stand at all..

 

[Chickiemom25]

I lost 2 hatchlings to ants and will move momma and eggs into the house a few days before hatching in the future. I use cinnamon in the coop when the ants get bad for some reason or another. Wish I could just kill the buggers without hurting my hens.