WIld Animal Attack (update + questions)

[Aunt Mildred]

First, thanks to everyone who has advised me from my first thread ( https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=132555&p=1). Your first aid advice was great and very helpful. Below is an update and a few questions about the next stage of recovery:

Update: Aunt Florence is doing well but lonely because Aunt Louise is not up and about to keep her company. Louise was getting better but had a setbcak when we discovered she was egg bound. We got the egg out and she has started to recover quickly. She has started to stand up and preen her feathers for very brief periods before she lays down and sleeps. She has started to drink on her own periodically but we are still supplementing her efforts by holding a bowl of water up to her. Louise's wounds appear to be healing over nicely (she does not have any puncture wounds only surface). We are applying neosporin and doing our best to keep her clean and in a clean environment (indoors with a heat lamp)

I need some advice on the next stage of recovery for the Aunts:
(SPECIFIC QUESTIONS IN CAPS)

Aunt Louise:
Since she has started to preen a little it wont be long before she is working more extensively on her feathers and I am worried she may start picking at her back (feathers were ripped out from the base of head to the tip of tail and about half way down each side of her body) I plan to apply blue kote to keep her from picking but if her wounds are not fully healed CAN I STILL APPLY NEOSPORIN EFFECTIVELY IN CONJUNCTION WITH BLUE KOTE?

It is still cold at night here and cool during the day. Once Louise gets her energy back I am worried she will go stir crazy in her dog crate (Florence was in the crate and now has to spend the day outside because she just cant take being stuck in that small space. AT WHAT TEMPERATURES CAN LOUISE START TO GO OUT WITH HER BARE BACK AND WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR KEEPING HER INDOORS WHILE IT IS TOO COLD OUTSIDE? IS IT OKAY TO LET HER BE STIR CRAZY FOR AWHILE IN THE INTEREST OF HER GREATER GOOD?

Louise is still eating a mixture of yogurt and egg yolk. Once she moves to solid food again (pellets) I think she will need grit. She has always free ranged so she has never had grit in a bowl. AT WHAT POINT DOES SHE NEED GRIT AND IN WHAT FORMAT, IS A BOWL OF SAND ENOUGH WHILE SHE IS INDOORS OR DO I HAVE TO BUY A WHOLE BAG OF GRIT?

Aunt Florence:
Florence is back to normal but without tail feathers (she looks so small). She has always been the energetic one and cant stand to be inside during the day. She sleeps inside with Louise at night and during the day she is outside. The new "supermax" run is almost complete. She acts really lonely by herself and it will be awhile before Louise can be around full time for company. Once the new run is complete we plan to get two new silkie hens (full grown) to stay in the run with Florence for social help and to rebuild our flock. I will follow other forum advice for introducing the new birds but my main question for Florence is SHE IS USED TO FREE RANGING AND WILL NOW BE CONFINED TO A 7'X12' RUN MOST OF THE DAY, HOW CAN I HELP HER ADAPT OR WILL SHE BE ABLE TO ADAPT TO THE CONFINEMENT? She will be able to free range when we are around.

The new run: 7'x12' with 6" sand base, treated timber framed with welded wire infill. Enclosed/elevated walk to coop

Sorry for the long post, thanks in advance for all the advice.

 

[Lollipop]

She will adapt just fine.

 

[FarmerDenise]

When I keep a chicken indores for an extended period of time, I usually let them outside for short periods of time, during nice weather. If that is not possible, I provide a little bit of greens with roots attached that I pull from the garden. I also have some grit left over from our parakeet and sometimes give that to the chicken.

When we have a chicken in the house, we usually let them run around. Those that poop a lot, get to wear a diaper, if they will accept it. At the least they get to stay in the bathroom, where it is easy to clean up their messes.

I don't worry about wound picking, unless it happens. When my rooster was badly wounded and had practically no feathers, I used saline solution to clean him and put neosporin on his skin and wounds until the scabs were closed up. I put aloe vera on him to help his skin heal. I still had to watch one puncture wound and rinse it regularly. I put sunblock on him when he went outside. We did not have a problem with any one pecking his wounds. He preened himself as his feathers grew back and eventually picked the scabs off. It did take about a month until he was well enough to go back out with the flock full time.

 

[Aunt Mildred]

Thank you so much for all of your help. Aunt Louise seems to be doing better today. She is able to stand for longer periods of time and drink on her own. This morning she didn't have much of an appetite, but this afternoon she ate three spoonfuls of yolk and yogurt. I have a couple of new questions if anyone can help.

#1 - we are treating her sore spots with neosporin. Today, she was able to turn her head backwords to kind of work on what little back feathers she has. Will it hurt her if she accidentally ingests the neosporin?

#2 - there are several broad yellow-orange spots on her back where the wounds are that look like iodine stains. (We haven't put any iodine on her though) None of her wounds are punctures or cuts, mostly like rug burns in some spots on her backs (and no back feathers) Are these what rug burn scabs look like? or could they be infections?

#3 - she has been on a diet of diluted pedialyte + water and boiled egg yolk with yogurt (to make it creamy and easy to bite) for a week now. She isn't very active, mostly sleeping all day long. How much water and egg yolk should she be eating a day to stay nourished?

#4 - During the day - 7am to 7pm, the two aunts are separated, one in the yard, one in the house. Also, we aren't home during this time. Do you have any suggestions for keeping them company, calm, etc. when they are by themselves? Does music help?

 

[chickeepoo]

On the subject of Blu-kote, a heads up to please check out these other 2 threads, one my hen, and the comments on the use of blu-kote… we're still trying to get a definite answer as to its effects in laying hens (I just tossed 7 eggs from my hen just to be safe b/c I used this product on her last week and again Sunday). Hope Aunt Louise and Florence are both back up to par quickly!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=133800
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=133412
**Last post from SilkyChicken puts it in more positive light- I may hang on to my bottle after all