Raccoon scalped my young chicken

[Beekissed]

That "hardened muscle tissue" on her head is the epicranial aponeurosis (big sheath of tendon)

I always use Bag Balm on my animal's wounds. Has slightly antibiotic properties as well as mild insecticide. Keeps the flies away and does an excellent job at healing wounds. We used to use it in the nursing home as a moisture barrier/healing salve for raw bottoms(until they discovered it had insecticidal properties

). Might make this wound more comfortable as it heals, while keeping flies away. You can find it at any drug store and a tin lasts forever. My mom uses it for wounds to her apple trees....keeps the bugs away and seals the wound. One place on a tree still feels greasy after 3 years!

 

[cherrychicken]

poor baby

my prayers go out to you and her thank goodness the world has people like you to take care of these little angels! i hope it all works out!

-jenny

 

[thechickenchick]

What a tough chicken and what a great chicken owner you are! Best wishes coming your way from Montana!

Darn racoons anyway! I always wondered why God made something so cute, so mean!

 

[d.k]

* Hey, how's the chickee doing?? I was thinking about the dressing issue, and poked around o/l and found that, believe it or not, HONEY might make a good salve for your birdie!! Apparently, the results on difficult wounds like those of burn victims, diabetics and bed sore patients have been studied recently, and roughly 21 days of honey salve has yielded some pretty remarkable results. Might be worth a shot. You may have to take some precautions to keep her ant free, but, apparently the honey keeps the wound moist, and stimulates new tissue growth, AND get this, they say most honey-treated wounds, in careful handling are usually STERILE in 5-7 days!! That's pretty remarkable all by itself, if so. What do you think??

 

[dlhunicorn]

bagbalm will work...honey too (here below my collected info on that:
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=emergencies&action=display&num=1161617098


....however my FIRST choice would be GRANULEXV:
(found usually in the horse section at ag suppliers and in many pet stores) .... here is the cheapest online source I have found:
http://www.bullwrinkle.com/ShoppingPages/granulex.htm

 

[go-veggie]

Quote:
Thanks! I'm not a vegan because I love dairy products, but I just can't support the killing of animals, although I'm sure people have horror stories about the lives of dairy cows too.

I only buy organic dairy products, although the butter is $7 now for 4 sticks so I went back to Land O Lakes to save $3. Anyway, did your vet give you the silver cream? It would really help! Have you given her any of the drinkable kind yet? That would help too, but the topical cream heals and protects from invading infection. In any event, I am so happy to hear you are nursing her back to health!!!!!! You are in my prayers!
Have a great day!

 

[camille]

Thanks to all of you that wrote to me with such good advice. The honey is especially interesting because of course I have some.

I finally took her to the vet because she was developing an infection on the top of her head. I know I needed oral antibiotics. When I finally got to see the vet, I noticed to my horror that she felt like skin and bones. She hadn't hardly been eating or drinking except what I forced her to eat (in a way). So anyway, even though I didn't want to spend alot, I listened to the vet and left her overnight because she felt so fragile like she would die any second- even though she was still alert.

The next day I went to get her. When I asked if they had managed to get many calories in her, the vet said- 'Not much. You should leave her another night'. But when I hesitated she said it would be fine for me to take her. She seemed like she probably might not die and her infection had shrunk.

On the way home, I stopped and got a whopper jr with the chicken in the car and I thought- I wonder if beef is OK for chickens? It must be on the same level as the protein from bugs. I read later, on this website that chickens love meat or any people food So I offered her some burger, some bun and some tomato. She enjoyed all of it. I was relieved!

Since then, she has been on oral antibiotics and some supplement from the vet that has amino acids or something in it. She is good, eating alot, and living in the house. She has taken to following us around the house and listening to my son's bedtime story. It's very nice. At this point, I let her outside during the day to walk around in the backyard. She walks over to the chicken yard and stands next to the other young ones- on the other side of the fence. And then she will walk back over to me or my husband. I put her into the pen once, but it doesn't work. The other babies explore the scab and the big hens will hurt her.

So she walks around, eats and takes her dust baths! Then at night, I clean off her scab and put antibiotic on it if it needs it. It's been great having her around and her poops aren't too bad because she's small. BIG chickens in a house can be DISGUSTING. Their morning poops are SO gross! I know, from when I would bring chickens in sometime on cold winter nights. I don't do that now.
Thanks alot again.

 

[joebryant]

I am just sitting here in awe after my having read all the stuff that you people do for your chickens. To be honest, if a raccoon had done all that to one of my chickens, I'd've probably felt so sorry for the chicken that I'd've done in the chicken along with the raccoon. I think it's wonderful of you, Camille (love that name), to do what you've done and are doing. All I can say is, "Wow!"

 

[Aimless Farmer]

A quick scan of this section reveals I'm not alone! One of my 3 month olds was also scalped 5 days ago when she got out of the "nursery" and in with the big ones. Miracle of miracles, the emergency clinic at the vet school stitched her up (the skin was still present, just peeled down and draped about her shoulders like a sweatshirt hood). She's been on oral antibiotics (125mg Clavamox 2x per day) and pain medication (0.5 mg meloxicam/Metacam at night). She's in the house for now, in the big dog crate. She looks very good, but she's lonely. One positive note...she's getting very snuggly and handlable, which she decidedly was NOT previously.
This was the second episode of "When Chickens Attack" in as many weeks. A couple weeks before, I witnessed my roo and another hen attack another one of my full-grown hens. I have no idea why. That story ended tragically, as her neck was broken, and she died shortly after we rushed her into the house.
I'm totally on edge now. Every time I look out at my chickens, I'm looking for signs of carnage. I can't shake the anxiety. The thought of integrating my flocks is keeping me up at night, not to mention just getting this little girl back in with her little teen-flock once the stitches are out.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of you who are nursing injured chickens. Good luck to you all.

 

[jjthink]

I'm so glad the little munchkin is coming along. Thank you for everything you are doing for her.

JJ