Rooster with limp neck-fox attack

[Saulzy2433]

I have a rooster that was attacked by a fox. I can’t see any wounds on him but he’s unable to lift his head up. I made a sling to hold his neck and head up. When he isn’t wearing the sling he lays on the ground and is lethargic but if in the sling he looks fine. I am giving him egg yolk and water via syringe. Any hope for him or am I just wasting my time? Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. When did this happen? Do you have any pictures? There may have been internal injuries to the head and neck. Can he move his legs and wings okay? Is he eating and drinking? I would try some vitamin E 400 IU soft gels 1 orally every day for a bit. You can pop it into his beak or squeeze it into a dab of food or egg. I would give him some time to recover as ling as you have the time to wait on him. It can take a week or more to know how serious an injury is, and if there is hope of recovery.

 

[Saulzy2433]

Welcome to BYC. When did this happen? Do you have any pictures? There may have been internal injuries to the head and neck. Can he move his legs and wings okay? Is he eating and drinking? I would try some vitamin E 400 IU soft gels 1 orally every day for a bit. You can pop it into his beak or squeeze it into a dab of food or egg. I would give him some time to recover as ling as you have the time to wait on him. It can take a week or more to know how serious an injury is, and if there is hope of recovery.

It happened yesterday afternoon. He can move his legs not sure on his wings. He eat when I feed him with the syringe (he opens his beak and closes it). The only problem I see if lack of control of his neck. I’m hoping it’s just sprained and weak. I can get photos

 

[Eggcessive]

Let us know how he gets along. I would be concerned about a spinal injury if he cannot move his wings too. But it may just be a sprain or bruised neck, and could improve if swelling goes down in several days. You could learn to tube feed and get a tube feeding kit if you are interested, if you are not able to get enough fluids into him. For just liquids and uncooked egg and yogurt, a piece of aquarium air tubing or oxygen tubing works fine if the one end is warmed with a lighter to soften it. Then connect it to a 35 ml syringe from a feed store, and it works easily. A vet can sell a regular feeding tube, and some feed stores may have a set for lambs or goats. The larger tubes work better for feeding KayTee baby bird feed.

 

[Saulzy2433]

Welcome to BYC. When did this happen? Do you have any pictures? There may have been internal injuries to the head and neck. Can he move his legs and wings okay? Is he eating and drinking? I would try some vitamin E 400 IU soft gels 1 orally every day for a bit. You can pop it into his beak or squeeze it into a dab of food or egg. I would give him some time to recover as ling as you have the time to wait on him. It can take a week or more to know how serious an injury is, and if there is hope of recovery.

 

[Saulzy2433]

 

[Saulzy2433]

First picture is without sling and second is with.

 

[Eggcessive]

He is a handsome fella. Let us know how he is doing.

 

[Kittenfarms]

View attachment 3062905

He is beautiful! I am so sorry this happened to you. The exact same thing happened to our rooster this morning. Can you please share feedback if your roo recovered, how long it took, and what did you did you feed him to help recover?

 

[Saulzy2433]

He is beautiful! I am so sorry this happened to you. The exact same thing happened to our rooster this morning. Can you please share feedback if your roo recovered, how long it took, and what did you did you feed him to help recover?

Mine is 100% better now. I took a syringe and fed him plain yogurt mixed with egg yolk twice a day as much as he wanted and I made a make shift sling to hold his head upright. If it was upright he could actually walk around. I think his spinal cord was swollen and after about 4 days he was good. I hope your recovers!