Predator attack!

[Theda's Mom]

Something got into my chicken run yesterday afternoon, my rooster put up a heck of a fight and saved all but one hen and himself. Poor guy. A second hen, my beloved white cochin, Acadia, has a very badly bruised neck and some teeth marks. I think her cloud of feathers saved her. In any event, she is one sore and miserable chickie this morning. She cannot lift her head for the bruising (yesterday evening she could). I cleaned the wounds, but am wondering about two things:

1) antibiotics - should I give her some, and if so what? (I have none on hand either.)

2) food - what can I offer her to eat? Someone on another thread suggested a product available at TSC called Rooster Booster, which I can pick up today. On the same thread (maybe the same person?) I also found a recommendation for a product called VetRX. What is it, what does it do, is it something I should try?

Thanks for any and all advise!

Susan

 

[mnferalkitty]

I don't do antibiotics unless I start seeing signs of infection, I would wash her neck under water then put betadine on the wounds. Electrolyes in her water is a good idea too, Boiled eggs would be good and soften up some regular chicken food with electrolyte water

 

[Theda's Mom]

I used Vetericyn on her wounds this morning (I use it on everybody - my vet recommends it highly) - but will wash with warm water/soap too. I'm on my way to the feed store for electrolytes and will see if I can entice her with your food suggestions. Thanks!!

 

[mnferalkitty]

I wouldn't wash the wound now that you've already treated the wound, you might just irritate it more washing it, I just wash wounds before putting anything on it, now that you've treated it let it be and watch for infection just apply the vetarycin as needed or reccomended by your vet

 

[Theda's Mom]

I called my vet, and he set me up with antibiotics. I sat with Acadia for a while this evening, and she ate out of my hand and drank when I carried her to the waterer. She is capable of standing, and of holding her head up, but it is clear she would much rather not. Poor girl. Right now she's in a quarantine cage inside the coop, but I'm sorely tempted to bring her indoors for the night in order to keep a closer eye on her.

 

[seminolewind]

I would also try and feed her some mush made from feed. My chickens go hog wild for it.

 

[LadyofChickRose]

I know this sounds weird, but when my chicken was injured, she drank a lot of soymilk carton washout water. She seemed to really like it, plus soymilk is full of healthy stuff. So if you have some milk carton washout water, you might want to try it. Sorry about the rooster and the hen, I hope that they both had kids.

 

[Theda's Mom]

Update: on the chance that any of you kind respondents might be curious, the antibiotics made a night and day difference! I went to bed Monday evening expecting to wake up to a dead hen. Not so! When I walked into the coop, Acadia was standing up, alert, bright-eyed, hungry - in other words, nearly her old self. Her course of antibiotics continues through Sunday, and to stay on the safe side, I'm planning on keeping her quarantined from the rest of the gang at least until Monday. She doesn't mind it. She's where she can see her flock mates, and I suspect she's rather enjoying the special treatment (grapes, scratch, a private "nest").

In the meantime, I'm making major upgrades to my predator-control mechanisms. The girls' run will soon be reinforced by 48" high electrified poultry fencing. Pricey, but so are injured and lost birds.