What type of predator done this? Warning: Graphic

[SkylaSilkie]

Never put marshmellows in a trap, first of all. Second, If its that bad, looks like a HUGE racoon got her. It is just to pain ful to see those wonds.

I started to cry when i saw those. Your hen is lucky, mine was killed cleanly, dad says whatever it was,it kills slow and painful.

 

[SkylaSilkie]

 

[leadwolf1]

I am so sorry for your loss, I was hoping that she would make it

Good luck with your war!

 

[TheJadeChicken]

Never put marshmellows in a trap, first of all. Second, If its that bad, looks like a HUGE racoon got her. It is just to pain ful to see those wonds.

I started to cry when i saw those. Your hen is lucky, mine was killed cleanly, dad says whatever it was,it kills slow and painful.

Why not the marshmellows? I may put a can a wet cat food.

Also, I found were he tried to pull her through.

 

[Cetawin]

Betadine is safe for cleaning. Flush the wounds with sterile saline and apply triple aintibiotic without pain reliever (use nothing that has 'cane' in the name or other pain reliever) give her penicillin injections..once per day for at least three days 1/4 cc - 1/2 cc oral antibiotics will do very little for thwarting infections from a bite like that.

Steri- strips are okay to use on the flappy or gaping flesh wounds but the hole in the crop must be sutured closed. Use very small, the absolute smallest monofilament you can find if you cannot get your hands on sutures. Check with vet offices or your docs office for out of date sutures....they can only keep them on hand so long and then they toss them, most will give them to you or sell them cheap if you tell them it is for chickens. That crop must be closed so she can digest food properly. Also when she started eating more, that hole will tear as her crop expands and fills. Any flesh wound you try to close either with steri strip or suture...leave a small opening at the lowest end or part....lowest meaning closest to the ground so that the area can drain.

She can have a baby aspirin once per day for 2 or 3 days if she feels really hot or is in obvious pain. You can feed her higher protein foods and softer stuff too to help her along such as scrambled eggs and plain yogurt...those are for high protein and also digestion and good gut bacteria which can be offset by penicillin.

Keep her away from the other birds until she is completely healed or they will pick her to death. Good luck with her, she is a real trooper.

Keep that trap set for sure.


Edit: well I did not read onto page 2 and should have but keep the above info for future reference. I am sorry you lost her.

 

[Cetawin]

That is what coons like to do, take off the heads. A farmer told me it is because they like the combs. Anyway we trapped coons here in TX and found that when we put bacon in the trap, we caught a coon. They love the smell of bacon. Glad your hen is doing better.

It is not the combs...it is the sweet meat of the crop and gizzard. Plus when the head is removed they can eat the entrails with no problems or worry with feathers and such.

 

[Sunny Dawn]

Hi - So curious as to how your hen did....I have a 4 month old rooster that looks horrid....much the same as your hen. My dog chased him into the woods the other night and he didn't come back. As a chicken has never returned after being out in the woods for the night we sadly wrote him off. He was our favorite of all the spring hatches. Much to my surprise I saw him leaning against the chicken run at lunch time the following day. He slowly limped over to me and when I picked him up saw that under his wing was nothing but raw muscle and tendons. This was yesterday. I cleansed the wounds with what I had at home. (So grateful that I am an RN). This morning when I checked on him (he is isolated in a separate out building) the wound was completely covered with maggots....oh NO! Today I picked up some SWAT to repel the flies. I am praying he makes it! We named him Daniel as he survived the "Lion's Den" of the deep woods behind our house. So Danny Boy hopefully will recover but I am extremely interested in your story and what I should and shouldn't do.

 

[TheJadeChicken]

Hi - So curious as to how your hen did....I have a 4 month old rooster that looks horrid....much the same as your hen. My dog chased him into the woods the other night and he didn't come back. As a chicken has never returned after being out in the woods for the night we sadly wrote him off. He was our favorite of all the spring hatches. Much to my surprise I saw him leaning against the chicken run at lunch time the following day. He slowly limped over to me and when I picked him up saw that under his wing was nothing but raw muscle and tendons. This was yesterday. I cleansed the wounds with what I had at home. (So grateful that I am an RN). This morning when I checked on him (he is isolated in a separate out building) the wound was completely covered with maggots....oh NO! Today I picked up some SWAT to repel the flies. I am praying he makes it! We named him Daniel as he survived the "Lion's Den" of the deep woods behind our house. So Danny Boy hopefully will recover but I am extremely interested in your story and what I should and shouldn't do.

She didn't make it sadly. :/

 

[astalwawen]

Put dry cat food in the trap, or use grape jelly. I used to trap and sell furs, and the coons seem to go for that stuff!
So sorry you lost your hen

 

[off-grid hen]

Where is the predator reaching through to get to the birds? Cover wherever they can reach through with small gauge wire so that things can't reach through. My run is 2x4 wire (even on the top) but on the bottom I have hardware cloth so coons can't reach through. The windows are covered with hardware cloth and attached with screws and washers. Good luck, and I'm sorry you lost those birds.