Update 3/13 Blood :( - HELP! Flock attacked, 1 injured

[MissNutmeg]

Aw, that's great!

 

[robomb]

My girl has been making so much progress, but we had a couple of set backs. First, I noticed another spot on the side of her body that was an awful hole in her flesh - I had missed that before. Started treating it, but it's quite deep and quite black. Hopefully it will respond to treatment. Second, this morning when I took her out of the crate, there was fresh blood on the hay underneath her. I noticed that she's been pecking at one of her wounds. Is this normal? Do I need to put a saddle on her PDQ? I knew other hens would peck at the wounds, but I never realized a chicken would peck at their own wounds drawing blood. I'm trying to determine if a saline rinse on these areas would be helpful at this point. Tomorrow will make it a week.
And update on the attacker: I got the picture from my neighbor, and between me and my kids, it sure looks like a healthy, well-fed, clean HUSKY. Since I am a dog owner, I didn't want to believe a dog would kill for sport. Or that a dog was running loose in my neighborhood. But the evidence is clear. (Really wanted to believe it was a coyote...)

 

[MissNutmeg]

Do you think you could bandage the second wound? A hen saddle would be good only if it covered the wound(s) completely.

 

[MissNutmeg]

Also, some vitamins would be good to incorporate into her diet at this stage. You could try Poultry Nurti-Drench in her water, it'll boost her immune system. Is she still laying eggs daily?

 

[robomb]

I have some wrap (like Ace bandage, but the kind that sticks to itself). I'll put that on when I get home this afternoon, although I've got to figure out how to keep her wings free...

 

[robomb]

no more eggs since the one on 3/8 a day after the attack. i honestly don't think she's eating enough. lately it's been scrambled eggs, but she'll only eat about a tablespoon. i've added some grit to the bowl i left in the crate (with layer pellets, bird seed, meal worms). i'm trying anything! and i'll have to pick up some Nutri-Drench

 

[MissNutmeg]

Yes, you could find it at a local feed store like Tractor Supply Co. etc.

 

[MissNutmeg]

Maybe you could sprinkle 1/2 tablet crushed tums onto the scrambled eggs.

 

[MrsBachbach]

My girl has been making so much progress, but we had a couple of set backs. First, I noticed another spot on the side of her body that was an awful hole in her flesh - I had missed that before. Started treating it, but it's quite deep and quite black. Hopefully it will respond to treatment. Second, this morning when I took her out of the crate, there was fresh blood on the hay underneath her. I noticed that she's been pecking at one of her wounds. Is this normal? Do I need to put a saddle on her PDQ? I knew other hens would peck at the wounds, but I never realized a chicken would peck at their own wounds drawing blood. I'm trying to determine if a saline rinse on these areas would be helpful at this point. Tomorrow will make it a week.
And update on the attacker: I got the picture from my neighbor, and between me and my kids, it sure looks like a healthy, well-fed, clean HUSKY. Since I am a dog owner, I didn't want to believe a dog would kill for sport. Or that a dog was running loose in my neighborhood. But the evidence is clear. (Really wanted to believe it was a coyote...)

Yes, dogs do kill for sport. Seen it too many times. Will leave them laying all over your yard, dead or injured. Not just one bird, but as many as they can catch. At least a coyote kills for food.

It won't hurt to flush those wounds out. You probably have some rotting flesh and it may be the chicken is trying to do herself a favor pecking the rotten flesh and causing the bleeding. Now, if you take the chicken to the vet, the vet is likely to do the same thing, remove the rotten, dead flesh so the viable flesh can start healing. You may have to take some sterile scissors and try to remove that black,dead flesh/skin, she can't reach. Even I would be a little queasy and unsure with that, I would rather have a vet do it. When I have to work on a bird alone, I wrap it snug in a towel, legs out. If it's an area of her back you need to work on, how about a Tube sock? Slip one over her, cut a hole where you need to work, bind her legs together and cover her head with a dark cloth. She may not be able to reach some areas of herself, Idk. They can turn that head almost 360 it seems. So, flush out those wound, you don't have to soak the chicken to do that and keep apply the antibacterial spray. A good internal antibacterial is a good idea imo. That would be an injection of PenG which you can find in the feed stores too. 18 guage needle, a 1 ml or 3ml syringe and a bottle of that. It's in their refrigerated section. Search this site for dose amount, there has been some discussion on it, but a vet once told me to give 1 ml to my bird in the muscle. I would think a daily injection for three days would be helpful. You will have to toss any eggs for a few weeks I would think, but she isn't laying anyway now. If you don't want to do that, get the vitamins at least for her water and try a natural antibiotic like Oil of Oregano. You can find capsule for people in Natural food stores and I would pop one of those down her beak for a few days. Make sure it is the kind that is taken internally, not topically or aromatherpy.
Vetwrap, sold at feed stores is cheap and the best stuff for bandage wrapping. Better than Ace imo. But, I really don't think it would be the best idea to close those wound. She may need access to them and it may need air. She needs to stay enclosed, imo, until this heals up. You don't want her dustbathing, flies to get to it, or other chickens to peck at her. I think she may be removing dead flesh, which is good, but, I'm not entirely sure what she is doing. You would have to monitor those wounds daily yourself to see what is going on.

 

[robomb]

Thank you for the recommendation for the penicillin. Tractor Supply does have it, but they are a half-hour drive away, and pretty much everything here is shut down because of the blizzard. If they're open tomorrow, I will be heading right down. I read the entire post by Nathalie Ross (Wound Care) and I am such a scaredy cat when it comes to cleaning her wound and giving her an injection, but she's still hanging in there, so I have to put on my big girl panties and take care of her. She isn't eating much and I haven't seen her drink in a couple of days. I'm going to try and use the eyedropper to give her some water with the vitamin/electrolyte support and also probiotics. I'm nervous about it going down her trachea. Sheesh! So much to worry about! I'm not sure I worried this much with my 3 kids! I wrapped the VetWrap around last night because she has been pecking at her wounds, and the little stinker kept pecking at the VetWrap too! At least it was night, so I could turn off the light.

On another note, the police are looking for the dog (and owner). If I want to recover my costs for the 10 dead hens, and now the Rx for this injured girl, it will end up being about $200! And that's to say nothing of the lack of sleep (for worrying) and my own anxiety about treating the poor girl. Can't wait til spring and we can reinforce my fence and run to keep other people's dogs out.