Rode Island attacked by unidentified animal

[paeju]

Ok..so 3 days ago I come back home from my morning walk and find one of my Rode Island Reds badly injured in my backyard. I have no clue what attacked her, but something bit her badly on her back and neck area, it pulled out a lot of skin to the point where I could see her bronchial tubes. I could swear she wouldn't make it and brought her inside just to try and make her comfy, I could not put her out of her misery...anyway...I put her in a box and spend the rest of the day coming to check on her and talking to her..to my surprise, by 5 o'clock she was standing up, as I could clearly see her inside working! Bizarre! Anyway, I got a syringe and gave her a couple f drops of water, she took it, and I found an egg without a shell in the box. Next morning she was up again! More water , and more water...by the end of day she would move towards the syringe and open her beak! But there was NO egg this day. Then things got even better, she seems VERY alert and I introduced baby food, (after offering everything possible and her not eating it) I got some little fruit jar, put the fruit in the syringe and fed her bit by bit. She took it pretty well. I took her outside to get some sun and move a bit (no egg still) unfortunately the other chickens started pecking at her wound and being aggressive towards her, we went back inside, I let her move around a bit and put her back in the box. So Today is day 3 other than the egg without a shell on day 1, we have had no more. My two main concerns at this point are:

1) Could she be egg bound? (I cannot feel any egg inside her, but I am inexperienced in this this is my first flock and they are about 6 months old) or maybe it is just stress? Should I be worried she did not lay yesterday and today?

2) Even though she is eating the baby food, it is veeery little and I do not really know how much to get down. She will not eat anything else.

3) The wound itself I am cleaning with peroxide 2 times a day, and I see no signs of infecction, but if she survives, I need to find a way to cover it when she is ready to go outside..any suggestions?

4) Any other advice is welcome!

Thanl you sooo much!

 

[BirdNut]

First of all, you need to know that it's okay if your hen misses a day or two of laying. Even a week of not laying isn't bad, just as long as you don't feel the big bump on her bum. Also, it's important that you DO NOT let her out into the coop until she's fully healed. The other birds will peck at the wound. It is also important that yoou don't allow that wound to get infected. I wouldn't suggest using peroxide, because it stings and eliminate good bacteria as well as bad bacteria. That will actually prevent it from healing. You might want to sanitize the wound with some dish soap and water instead. After that, coat it with polysporin.

 

[paeju]

Thank you so much! Will do the soap!

 

[chicken_china_mom]

It sounds like a dog attacked your girl. Do you have a chicken aggressive bird? Or does a neighbor? Check for strays in your area too. I have a bird/small animal aggressive dog that has to be tied and watched when she's out in the yard because she will attack, and she escaped my house one day without my knowing it, and she went after my chickens, and she tore some of the roos up pretty good. We caught her before she could kill anyone. But she has killed wild birds by jumping up and snatching them out of midair and ripping out their throats. The advice already given about cleaning it with soap and water and polysporin are your best chances for her. Make sure you don't use anything with a numbing agent in it.

Keep her box clean too, and it probably couldn't hurt to give her some electrolytes. People on here have suggested pedialyte too and gatorade. You could try that. I hope she heals for you. And yes, don't put her back out until she is completely healed. Good luck!