First:
I have a flock of 14 nine month old hens. I have been getting between 12-14 eggs a day, including yesterday and today. They were immunized at birth for cocci and Mareks. I feed Rogue organic feed and provide free-choice grit and oyster shell. While free-ranging inside our half-acre run yesterday morning, an unattended neighbors dog (a Golden Retriever) found an opened gate and got ahold of 2 of my hens. I didn't witness the attack but I know I came upon it very soon after it occured, because he still had feathers in his mouth. All of the hens except one were hiding in the coop. They were all visibly upset and shaken. I saw a large amount of golden feathers and followed the trail to find one of the Buff Orpingtons hiding in a bush. I think that she has a broken leg. Although doesn't "appear" abnormal or malformed anywhere she will not stand on it or put any weight on it. She holds the leg up close to her underside, but has no other injuries that I can see (no blood). She is my favorite girl and allowed me to splint her leg and search her body for any other problems. She is able to get around the indoor coop on just the one leg and is eating and drinking fine....even layed and egg for me yesterday and today. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT I SHOULD DO WITH THIS GIRL? DOES ANYONE HAVE A ONE LEGGED HEN THAT HAS LIVED ANY SORT OF FAIR LIFE? I REALLY CAN'T BEAR TO PUT HER DOWN. Could her leg heal itself and allow her use of it again?
Second:
My main concern is for a Barred Rock hen that apparently also suffered an attack from this dog at the same time. I found a very few black and white feathers...the dog was more like "playing" with them because he never really bit them or tried to eat them. She has no visible injuries either...just some missing and messed up feathers. The problem is that she has been PERIODICALLY OPEN MOUTH BREATHING ONLY SINCE THAT ATTACK. It doesn't sound like a raspy cold-type wheeze and I don't hear any rattling in her chest. It also is not a pant.....I saw them pant this summer when they were hot. She Iis otherwise acting normal, has normal poop, no eye or nose discharge, normal looking bright eyes and is eating, drinking laying eggs too. Could she just be stressed out? Like a panic attack or something....could she have CHICKEN POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME from being scared to death or do you think that it's just a fluke and she has something else going on.....maybe a cold, other disease or unseen internal injuries? What are your suggestions?
I have a flock of 14 nine month old hens. I have been getting between 12-14 eggs a day, including yesterday and today. They were immunized at birth for cocci and Mareks. I feed Rogue organic feed and provide free-choice grit and oyster shell. While free-ranging inside our half-acre run yesterday morning, an unattended neighbors dog (a Golden Retriever) found an opened gate and got ahold of 2 of my hens. I didn't witness the attack but I know I came upon it very soon after it occured, because he still had feathers in his mouth. All of the hens except one were hiding in the coop. They were all visibly upset and shaken. I saw a large amount of golden feathers and followed the trail to find one of the Buff Orpingtons hiding in a bush. I think that she has a broken leg. Although doesn't "appear" abnormal or malformed anywhere she will not stand on it or put any weight on it. She holds the leg up close to her underside, but has no other injuries that I can see (no blood). She is my favorite girl and allowed me to splint her leg and search her body for any other problems. She is able to get around the indoor coop on just the one leg and is eating and drinking fine....even layed and egg for me yesterday and today. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT I SHOULD DO WITH THIS GIRL? DOES ANYONE HAVE A ONE LEGGED HEN THAT HAS LIVED ANY SORT OF FAIR LIFE? I REALLY CAN'T BEAR TO PUT HER DOWN. Could her leg heal itself and allow her use of it again?
Second:
My main concern is for a Barred Rock hen that apparently also suffered an attack from this dog at the same time. I found a very few black and white feathers...the dog was more like "playing" with them because he never really bit them or tried to eat them. She has no visible injuries either...just some missing and messed up feathers. The problem is that she has been PERIODICALLY OPEN MOUTH BREATHING ONLY SINCE THAT ATTACK. It doesn't sound like a raspy cold-type wheeze and I don't hear any rattling in her chest. It also is not a pant.....I saw them pant this summer when they were hot. She Iis otherwise acting normal, has normal poop, no eye or nose discharge, normal looking bright eyes and is eating, drinking laying eggs too. Could she just be stressed out? Like a panic attack or something....could she have CHICKEN POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME from being scared to death or do you think that it's just a fluke and she has something else going on.....maybe a cold, other disease or unseen internal injuries? What are your suggestions?
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