Hi everyone, I just joined and am in desperate need of advice. We have a hen who was badly attacked by a raccoon. It happened yesterday and I wasnt sure she would make it through the night. She has and also seems to be more alert and doing a bit better. The majority of her injuries are to her head. Her eyes are swollen shut and part of her upper beak was broken. Her crown is halfway ripped off. I'm absolutely heartbroken for her and we almost decided to put her down, so she would not suffer but she seems to have a bit of fight left. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to proceed, I have tried to clean her up but I didnt want to hurt her further. I put painfree-neosporin on all of her injuries but my main concern is her eyes. She was already blind in one eye before she came to us. I do not believe the raccoon injured her other eye as she seems to have perception of light. How should I clean her eye? I think she would be much better off if she could open her eye. I will try to get her to a vet tomorrow, but truthfully I dont even think the vets around me take Chickens. Is it more humane to put her out of suffering or allow her the chance to fight through? Im having much guilt watching her seem to struggle at times but then she shows me she is very much alive. Also I have given her a little water through a syringe but she is not interested in eating or drinking. Thank you much for any advice or experience you could share.
Raccoon Attack. Hen badly injured.
- Thread starter Katlyn
- Start date
Pictures, gruesome as they maybe, would be helpful.
Keep her quiet, let her rest tonight. Try offering her some feed moisten with water, making a mash. Maybe even some scramble egg or boiled egg yolk, tomorrow. If Nutri Drench is available, it's a good thing to give her some. As for her eye, not seeing how bad the injuries are, I'd suggest flushing with saline solution to wash out any particles/bacteria. Cleaning out wounds and applying Neosporin minus the pain is good. Sorry I can't be of much help but hopefully someone with more experience with raccoons will.
@azygous @Wyorp Rock @aart @casportpony
Keep her quiet, let her rest tonight. Try offering her some feed moisten with water, making a mash. Maybe even some scramble egg or boiled egg yolk, tomorrow. If Nutri Drench is available, it's a good thing to give her some. As for her eye, not seeing how bad the injuries are, I'd suggest flushing with saline solution to wash out any particles/bacteria. Cleaning out wounds and applying Neosporin minus the pain is good. Sorry I can't be of much help but hopefully someone with more experience with raccoons will.
@azygous @Wyorp Rock @aart @casportpony
- Thread starter
- #3
Attachments
Thefathen
In the Brooder
- Jul 19, 2020
- 8
- 16
- 18
Get a raccoon live trap and some leftover food in a little container and put it in the live trap. Then set the live trap by your coop over night and if you get the coon get rid of it
Thefathen
In the Brooder
- Jul 19, 2020
- 8
- 16
- 18
I have had a chicken with a hole in its head and it is doing completely fine now
- Thread starter
- #6
Thank you for responding, I appreciate your advice. I did try to wash her wash her wounds out but it seemed very painful for her so I stopped and put the neosporin on. I will try the saline solution for her eyes and to clean her up a bit more tommorrow. Thank you!
Awwww, 
try to get her nose clear of blood if you can, so she has an easier time breathing.
Saline (I used warm salt water) and you can use a black tea, tea bag that's been heated - so make your self a cup of tea,
Then let the tea bag cool down until it's just warm - make sure it's only just warm when you squeeze it, you can run it under warm water too, to make sure
The Tannic acid in tea works really against infection in eyes.
It took about a week for my girls eye to clear up after she got hurt, but it worked. Your girls eye looks quite a bit worse though.
try to get her nose clear of blood if you can, so she has an easier time breathing.
Saline (I used warm salt water) and you can use a black tea, tea bag that's been heated - so make your self a cup of tea,
Then let the tea bag cool down until it's just warm - make sure it's only just warm when you squeeze it, you can run it under warm water too, to make sure
The Tannic acid in tea works really against infection in eyes.
It took about a week for my girls eye to clear up after she got hurt, but it worked. Your girls eye looks quite a bit worse though.
- Thread starter
- #8
We have traps out now, thank you!
It grabbed her by the head 
Poor thing. When cleaning her nose area, use a Q Tip and be very careful NOT to get liquid in her nostrils. Baby aspirin would help with pain, you can mash it up in water. Careful when using a syringe, go slow cause you don't want to aspirate her. Keeps posted 
Poor thing. When cleaning her nose area, use a Q Tip and be very careful NOT to get liquid in her nostrils. Baby aspirin would help with pain, you can mash it up in water. Careful when using a syringe, go slow cause you don't want to aspirate her. Keeps posted 
Flockincrazy
Crowing
Me i would let her fight get some visene for her eyes in the tussle the coon mayhave scratched her lense it will heal faster with eyedropps and she is probably not eating and drinking cause her beak hurts make her food soft and she will get water and food at once and she can't see it to eat put it on a spoon and up to her beak you may have to feed her for a bit
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