Opossum attack, need antibiotics?

[journey11]

We had an opossum in the coop this evening and thankfully I heard the commotion and got out there quickly. None of my chickens were killed and I looked them over one by one as best I could with a flashlight and I didn't find any obvious injuries. One of my girls whose feathers I suspect were the ones strewn about will require a closer look in the daylight and one of my roosters had a little blood on him, but I'm not sure if it was from the opossum as we shot it where it was cornered in the coop and it tossed about. I am wondering if I should give my flock a round of antibiotics just in case and which one I should use?

 

[Pork Pie]

Personally, id just clean up the injured roo with saline solution and then whop some iodine on the injury and see how he goes. If he is still bleeding, then separate him, otherwise the rest of the flock may peck the living daylights out of him! If you can clean off the blood and put something like iodine on the wound, then he should be fine and dandy.

Good luck

CT

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Topical antiseptic like iodine is all they need. One can clean the wound first with a saline solution or just pour on some peroxide. You'd need a good hold on the bird for peroxide but quick general cleaning sometimes is in order. For a topical spray and about the only thing a person needs for medical kit on livestock is Blue-Kote. Sprays on dark blue to cover wound which will keep other birds from pecking at it. Mostly anyway, if a large area bird may have to be separated for time to scab over then spray more blue kote before reintroducing. It an antiseptic for livestock found at your local feed store.