Rooster injured from predator attack

[ChickGirl88]

I came home on Saturday and half my flock had been wiped out by some sort of predator-we think maybe coyotes? Two of my roosters were killed, but one survived, although he is wounded. The feathers on his back have been ripped out and he has several puncture wounds on his back as well. The wounds are fairly superficial, but obviously there could be more under his feathered areas that I am unaware of/internal injuries/chance of infection. I went to Tractor Supply on Saturday night and bought a topical chicken wound spray. The spray has amino benzoate and lots of herbal items (tea tree oil, etc)--I have been applying this every night after he goes to sleep since the incident. I also started putting antibiotics into their water supply yesterday...also from Tractor Supply, I think a tetracycline. He was super stressed after his hens died-he was the only one left alive in the chicken yard when I found them (all the other hens that survived had escaped and were hiding far away-I eventually got them to return to the yard) and he was uninterested in food/water but just sat on a log the rest of the day with his eyes half shut. He is a very vocal rooster, but he hasn't really "talked" since the incident...he crowed once or twice yesterday...but he is not his normal self. I have been leaving everyone in the coop until noon (with water provided) and think the rest has been helping him-yesterday he seemed to be improving a little. He showed interest in some tomatoes and corn that I gave everyone...and he drank a lot of water when I let him out of the coop. He also was less lethargic and walked around quite a bit, although he has been sneezing a lot. Am I doing everything I can, or does anyone have some advice for him? I am really attached to this rooster and really want him to pull through...

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Sorry to hear about the attack how horrific. Having read your post I think you have done everything you can for him all the things you are doing for him sounds like excellent care. It must be upsetting for him being attacked and losing his girls all in one and I would expect that he is in shock with the whole situation. I hope he continues to improve and that he's back to full health soon

 

[sbhkma]

Due to concerns about flystrike, if you're keeping him outside I would recommend going to TSC and getting Vetericyn GEL. Spray it thickly on his wounds-it's an excellent wound treatment and the gel seems to be quite effective at preventing flies from getting to the wound to lay eggs. I'd also advise bringing him inside to bathe him and take a close look all over to see if there are other wounds you didn't notice. Infection and/or flystrike in unnoticed wounds can turn ugly shockingly fast. Other than that, just keep a close eye on him, check his weight every day and watch his crop-it's a good indicator if he's eating and drinking. You don't have to weigh him, but you should pick him up, feel his body to see if he's losing weight. Good luck with your poor roo!

 

[ChickGirl88]

Thank you! He seems to be getting a little better every day, but I'm worried about the possibility of infection... He's a fighter though, that's for sure.

 

[ChickGirl88]

Due to concerns about flystrike, if you're keeping him outside I would recommend going to TSC and getting Vetericyn GEL. Spray it thickly on his wounds-it's an excellent wound treatment and the gel seems to be quite effective at preventing flies from getting to the wound to lay eggs. I'd also advise bringing him inside to bathe him and take a close look all over to see if there are other wounds you didn't notice. Infection and/or flystrike in unnoticed wounds can turn ugly shockingly fast. Other than that, just keep a close eye on him, check his weight every day and watch his crop-it's a good indicator if he's eating and drinking. You don't have to weigh him, but you should pick him up, feel his body to see if he's losing weight. Good luck with your poor roo!

I didn't think about flystrike, but am going to go to TSC this afternoon to get the Vetericyn gel spray! About bathing him...I have never bathed any of my chickens, do you have any advice on how to go about that? Thank you so much!

 

[sbhkma]

I use a kitty litter pan, but you can use the sink as well. Put warm water and a bit of epsom salts in it. I do this and THEN go get the chicken. Put your hands around his wings so he can't try to flap and get away and place the bird in the bath. They seem to enjoy it actually once they're in there. Keep one hand across his back if he looks like he's going to try to get out. While he's soaking and wet, look him over closely for any other injuries you may have missed. Then take him out (have a towel ready next to you to place him on) and use the towel to dry him off. Then spray the Vetericyn on all the wounds you see.