What type of predator done this? Warning: Graphic

[TheJadeChicken]

I know I posted about my dogs on here. But the chickens were not let out yesterday. Well, I went out to the chicken house, and then to the nest to gather eggs. Well, my Black Star hen wobbled out of the nest.

She was missing A LOT of feathers on her back, butt, and chest. She had a wounds on the front of neck, 1 on her left leg, 1 wound under each wing, and her wing is torn up pretty badly. AND SHE IS STILL ALIVE!!

We cleaned and dressed her wounds with wound cleaner, saline solution, neosporin, etc. Then put her in a large crate with a towel over it and a towel in it. Plus fresh water with Electorlytes plus an Antibiotic in it and some fresh food.

What type of predator could have done this? I don't think the 2 rooster could have done it. I did see white feathers every were, by the coop door and in the run. No one else is hurt. The all look great and happy, just not the wounded hen.

 

[chickened]

Pictures and more details would help. My initial guess is a bird of prey, owl maybe.

 

[TheJadeChicken]

Pictures and more details would help. My initial guess is a bird of prey, owl maybe.

What to you mean by more details? I will get some pictures of the wounds later, when we redress her wounds with bandages. She is finally resting now and she drank some water.

Edit: She just laid a shell-less egg! My first shell-less egg ever!

 

[EmilyMarie]

This sounds like it could be anything, pictures of the wounds would help. If there are holes in her skin, like tooth punctures, I wold say coyote, fox, skunk, raccoon, or any other land mammal. And I know that doesn't narrow it down, but those are possibilities. These animals will attack many times, ripping out feathers in the process because chicken make a ruckus when being attacked. Birds of prey won't do as much damage as you described because they attack from above, and would likely just rip out back feathers.

Hope she does well. Chickens are troopers and they can outlive almost anything. I had a hen get her neck chewed almost all the way through- and she is still alive and healthy as ever.

Betadine works wonders. Anytime my hens get a wound I just apply that and they are almost healed within a few days.

Good luck!

-Em

 

[TheJadeChicken]

Here are the pictures. She drank a lot of water just now, as well. I keeping jumping between putting her down and seeing if she makes it. I don't know what to do. So I am going to post the pictures and see what everyone says.

Her chest/neck. Sorry I couldn't get a good picture.


Her wing.


Her Sides.





And if none of those steal your heart. This made me start balling with tears. She walked to the turkey poults on her own.



ALSO! She had some darker spots under her wings, due to my large rooster. I have been doctoring them. :/

 

[PlatypusPerry]

Oh my goodness! What a trooper she is - I wish her a speedy recovery. It sounds like you're doing the right things. I agree with Betadine - I would always use that to scrub our horse's wounds with but IDK if it's OK with chickens so I'd check with one of the experts on here. Lots of R&R for now!

 

[Jubilee1111]

With all those feathers missing and the tears in the flesh, it looks to me like something grabbed her and pulled her to the fence and just kept pulling and gnawing. I would think only something with dexterous "hands" and a mouth would be able to do that. I say raccoon.

Where were all her feathers that she lost?

 

[TheJadeChicken]

With all those feathers missing and the tears in the flesh, it looks to me like something grabbed her and pulled her to the fence and just kept pulling and gnawing. I would think only something with dexterous "hands" and a mouth would be able to do that. I say raccoon.

Where were all her feathers that she lost?

That is the thing. I didn't see any of her feathers any where. All I saw was white feathers, like my rooster tried to attack whatever "IT" was.

 

[Jubilee1111]

Wow, this is all very strange. I say give her every chance with the treatments you are doing. I bet she makes it. Wishing you luck figuring this out.

 

[TheJadeChicken]

Wow, this is all very strange. I say give her every chance with the treatments you are doing. I bet she makes it. Wishing you luck figuring this out.

We are thinking about getting some steri-strips. And pulling it back together a little bit. I am also thinking about setting up the Humane trap I have, putting marshmellows or something in it.