Rooster rescued from a coyote, using Manuka honey

[Sunshine Flock]

I understand he's not eating much - but is he pooping o.k.?

He's not going often, because he's not active or eating as much. But he does poop. The first time since the attack, it was bubbly and bright yellow with some pasty white and green. The green is from pumpkin seeds and lettuce. It firmed up yesterday, but still similar colors. Today it's pretty much the same.

And he actively drinks water. I had Nutri-Drench in it the first two days and apple cider vinegar today.

 

[Sunshine Flock]

What are the signs of an infected wound? I'm seeing a green and blue tinge near one of the wounds, but not redness or swelling.

Also, I just read in the forums that a green tinge to his poop (I can't stand that word) could mean an infection internally. He's not eating pumpkin seeds and seems to mostly favor dandelion greens and spinach. So he has green poop.

I made him a salad to encourage him to eat more than the greens: mash from his feed, eggs (which he won't eat anymore, although he loves them), some pumpkin seeds, and unsalted tuna fish. I may have already mentioned this. Anyway, he eats the greens and sometimes nibbles on other things if the greens are coated with it.

I'm not sure why he would lose interest in the food he loves.

 

[Tlmcq]

Dandelion is high in vitamin A and also contains vitamin C, along with iron, calcium and magnesium. The A and C are both needed for building immunity and healing. Most of the time, animals have an instinctual knowledge of what they need or are lacking. Although, a lot of domestic animals have been so far removed from this type of "self care", it is possible he is preferring to choose the greens due to this natural forage and healing instinct.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post some photos of the poop and the wounds?

Infected wounds will have heat, pus and odor.
Green poop can be an indication of infection, not eating well and in some instances worms or coccidiosis.

The green poop could be from him eating greens - if the poop is well formed, then that may be your answer. It's hard to know without having a vet perform testing for infection.

 

[Tlmcq]

Here is the info on plantain and other wound care mentioned earlier
http://momprepares.com/4-wound-care-weeds/
Plus a close up of plantain leaf for reference. I would be willing to bet you have it in your yard considering your location.

 

[Sunshine Flock]

I'm actually in California. I did see plantain on a list of local plants. I'll have to double check.

Some interesting developments with my dear boy:

- Last night I researched natural pain treatment. There are several options, but my intuition led me to arnica, homeopathic medicine. I bought a 30c low dosage vial and gave him one pellet directly into his mouth. Indications that arnica would be a good choice are pain, muscle and internal injuries, and fear of being touched. The fear develops from both the pain and being touched when honey is applied. Once the shock wore off on the first day, he was exhibiting fear of my hands near his body, more on the puncture side than the other, which told me that's where he's experiencing the most pain.

- I went to bed, and when I came into his room this morning, I found what I thought was a convulsing, suffering bird. But nope. Henry the Rooster was actually, quite awkwardly, trying to stand. This was great to see. I'm not going to prevent him from doing what he feels he needs to do. For me this is an indication of an increase in his life force energy.

- We already had a tub of organic mixed lettuces and baby spinach, which they get every day. But when I was at the health food store I was drawn to a bundle of dandelion greens. He loves it, and I do think that's why his poop is green. But I'm learning green can mean other things, so I need to keep an eye on this.

- Thanks to the forums, I learned that chickens love it when their feed is soaked in water. I'm not sure I can safely maintain fermented feed, due to the high heat here and bacterial growth. But for now I'm soaking his food (probably not fermented; that takes a few days) and putting it on a dish with his beloved greens. I was using a spoon held up at beak level to make eating easier for him. He took a few pieces of greens and a quick nibble of the mash and stopped. So I walked away and came back and did it again, which seemed to pique his curiosity, and he ate some more.

- And would you believe, as I'm writing these very words, my boy's voracious appetite has returned and he's enjoying a plate full of mash and dandelion greens? It's such a joy to see.

- His wounds are healing surprisingly well. You don't have to use Manuka honey, by the way. Any wildcrafted, pure honey (read about that: some are blends and aren't 100% honey) can be used to treat serious injuries. But Manuka has additional healing properties and can significantly speed the healing process.

- As for his air sac, lung or body cavity puncture, I still don't know what to think about this. But he's no longer making those raspy breathing sounds, and I don't see any fluids in the opening.

- The green-blue skin around some of his wounds on the less painful side of his body, don't seem to be signs of an infection. It has lessened and is probably mild bruising.

- My concern is his underside. My husband can't be anywhere near Henry right now; it's too grotesque for him, and I can't safely flip him over and trim feathers by myself. Any suggestions on how to do this alone? I have no one to help.

- I let a therapy cat into his room. She's uncertain of her therapy status, but Henry is very alert and snapping his head around looking at her. I've also placed an order with my husband for one therapy hen. He doesn't do too well with chickens and is running around the yard trying to catch one. The therapy hen can't free roam. She has to be on my other side so I'm between them, both of them nibbling on treats.

And that's it for now, folks.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry your husband is sqeamish. Do you think it would help is you swaddled Henry in a towel - this would cover the wounds and your husband wouldn't have to "touch" him either - just a thought.

The swaddling may work for just you, if you are needing to place him on his side so you can see the underside wound more clearly. Wrap/swaddle his wings - leaving his head out, try to capture the legs if you can as well - this keeps them from flailing around - of course, not too tight to restrict breathing and gently release him is he becomes too distressed.

Having a hen near is a good idea - chickens do much better with a buddy or if they can be placed outside near the flock for even a small period of time. A wire kennel works well outside - the girls could come up and see him, but not touch. Fresh air and sunshine is good for the patient.

As for wet mash - that's great! Mine love wet feed. A lot of people do ferment, I have "tried it" in a small batch, but I'm always concerned about mold - even dry feed molds quickly outside in the summer here. What I do is either make fresh a few hours before the girls get up (water with ACV and feed - let it sit for a little bit) or mix some up before bedtime and let is soak up overnight (I always start with a clean container and fresh water/no using leftover from previous days). I only mix up what they will eat in a day. This way I know it's fresh. I always make their dry feed available too. If he will eat greens and mash, then let him have at it - eating and drinking is good.

 

[Sunshine Flock]

I found a little floating island of black mold, or at least that's what I'm pretty sure it was. I bought jars for fermenting their feed and was intent on doing this. But we don't have air conditioning, and I can't risk unhealthy feed for them.

But soaking their grains the night before, that's a great idea!!

Also, at your suggestion I'll have the husband take out the brooder he made for them when they were fluff balls. It's too windy outside for him today, but maybe tomorrow he can have an outing on the deck. They love peeking in at him through the sliding glass door, so at least they can see each other.

And swaddling is another great idea. I didn't apply any honey to him this morning. I wanted to allow time for his food to digest and then flip him over for some undercarriage care before lathering him up like a rotisserie chicken with the honey.

I'll post back here and to update on how it goes.

 

[Sunshine Flock]

I gave him some unsalted tuna yesterday. He pecked at it and nothing more. Today we opened the can of salmon, and my husband made a wonderful breakfast (for humans). The flock swarmed me, so they were the cleanup crew, and we saved some salmon for Henry.

He LOVES it and gobbled it all up. So now my boy is getting some good protein in him.

When I flip him over I'll examine the lame leg. That's got me feeling concerned. I hope I don't find any surprises.

And for anyone reading this and wondering why I didn't thoroughly examine him, I wish I had, but I was totally distracted by his huge and very scary wounds, and the next day I forgot about checking his undercarriage or leg.

I'll certainly remember for next time.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Hey, that boy might be gimpy for the rest of his life. But, if it weren't for your efforts he wouldn't have a life! You're doing a good job! Stress kills too, and you had to minimize how much poking and prodding you did. Animals can only take so much. One step at a time...