How Quickly Does Albendazole Work?

[Sarahw12]

3 questions:-

 

My 3 girls have been in their Cube for about 3 weeks now. This morning, when I went out to them, there were a LOT of loose feathers along the ladder side of the Eglu.

 

My White Star has an injury under her wing (in her left "armpit"). I'm assuming that either a fox (or something) grabbed her through the weldmesh, or else she slipped on the ladder and caught her wing in the mesh, injuring herself in a struggle to get free. She was in bed last night when I left them, so whatever happened happened this morning after they got up.

 

1st question:- Which do people think is the likely cause (or is there another I haven't thought of?)

 

2nd question:- What should I do with her now? (My vet is closed today as it's Bank Hol, and I've never asked him to treat a hen before. She is fine in herself, the others are fine with her, she's fully mobile, eating and drinking, her comb is bright red, I can only find about a teaspoon full of blood in the henhouse; but she's carrying the wing low and there is a hole in her armpit.)

 

3rd question:- If it WAS fox, s/he'll be back tonight, right? Is there anything I could do to stop this happening again? Maybe shut them in the house early and let them out late? Or will the hens have learned to keep away from the mesh from this experience?

 

Thanks for your help- I am really disappointed 'cos the cube was supposed to make my hen-keeping stress free!

 

Sarah.

[Budgies]

Sarah I'm really sorry to hear this.

 

I really can't say whether it was a fox or whether she just caught herself, but most importantly you need to hide the blood from the other hens and from your injured girl. Chickens will peck at anything red, so you need to cover the colour.

 

Blue food colouring or gentian violet spray preferably would work - you just cover the bloody patch until it's not red any more. I guess being under her wing it's perhaps hidden and therefore less of a target, but I'd spray it anyway if you can.

 

Does sound as though a trip to the vets might be in order tomorrow I'm afraid.

 

If you assume that it WAS a fox you can at least take other precautions.

 

Foxes aren't solely nocturnal, so you can expect a visit at any time of the day or night unfortunately. There are various old wives' tales such as hanging up human hair in the garden on getting a man to pee around the run area will deter foxes. I certainly wouldn't rely on it overall, but it might help until you can take better precautions, such as perhaps considering a Foxwatch.

 

Let us know how your girl gets on won't you?

[Snowy]

Sorry to hear about your girl Can't add anything to Budgies good advice - but it might be worth making sure they are shut inside the cube overnight, and not let out too early in the morning. Foxes will come around during the day, but at least you are more likely to be around then, whereas at night they can operate undisturbed.

[Sarahw12]

Thanks both.

 

They are shut up in the cube for the night, safely, and I've put their spare drinker in there, figuring she needs to keep her fluid intake up. I'll let them out when I get up (about 08:00).

 

I'm going to ring my vet in the morning and see what their advice is, then form a plan.

 

I really didn't think that foxes were a daytime problem as well- that does put a different complexion on things.

 

Sarah.

[Snowy]

Thanks both.

 

They are shut up in the cube for the night, safely, and I've put their spare drinker in there, figuring she needs to keep her fluid intake up. I'll let them out when I get up (about 08:00).

 

I'm going to ring my vet in the morning and see what their advice is, then form a plan.

 

I really didn't think that foxes were a daytime problem as well- that does put a different complexion on things.

 

Sarah.

 

It does depend where you are Sarah, in some areas they are just not afraid of man so will be about during the day. In more rural areas you are less likely to see them in the day, but still worth keeping your eyes peeled.

 

Good luck with her tomorrow - I do hope she is OK

[Budgies]

Snowy is spot on, Sarah. I live in a suburban area and we have had lots of foxes displaced from their natural habitat by the widening of a dual carriageway nearby.

 

I regularly see foxes during the day, rushing across roads and even sneaking through gardens and car parks. I think the sheer number of them displaced puts them in harsh competition for food, so they have to resort to scavenging in the daytime as well as at night.

 

I have to confess I feel sorry for them, it's not their fault that they are losing their habitats. I also feel the onus is very much on us to take decisions about free-ranging our girls and protecting them with that knowledge, that foxes can be very much part of our lives, whether we see them regularly or not.

 

We got our girls 3 years ago and the first morning I woke up there was fox poo next to the chicken run. It didn't take them long to source their potential food!!

 

If you're in the country, with any luck the local foxes will still retain their natural habitat so can continue with their normal behaviour, which is to be primarily nocturnal.

 

It's also worth remembering (I promise I'll shut up in a minute!!) that at this time of the year they're feeding young, which makes them very much more desperate and determined.

 

How are your wee girlies today, did they go okay last night?

[Egluntyne]

I had to chase a fox away this morning. He has been tearing at the plastic covers on the Eglu s for a couple of days.

 

Might be worth you investing in a **Foxwatch**

 

They do provide a degree of protection, but cannot be relied upon wholly.

 

I must dig mine out!

[Sarahw12]

We're a kinda market-town sized town. We do have green belt all around us, but locally it's quite built-up. I've never SEEN a fox in town, even at night, but I and all my chicken keeping local friends have lost hens to them if they're ever not locked up at night. I usually leave them out in the day as long as I'm at home and can take a peek at them every 20 minutes or so, but maybe I won't for a while.

 

I thought I had a fox-proof routine now, with 2 separate alarms to remind me to put them away in the early evening!

 

Anyhow, they all trooped out when I opened the door this morning- the injured one 2nd of 3 through the door, so I don't think she's been displaced in the pecking order by this. There's no blood anywhere inside this morning, but she has some on her beak, and a little more in her feathers, so I guess she can't leave it alone! She's still eating and drinking and seems well enough in herself. I'll be very surprised if she lays today, though!

 

Anyhow, I rang the vets, asked if they treat chickens and the receptionist didn't know, but she came back to tell me that the vet on duty this evening not only treats them but has a special interest in them. So, we'll be off there just after work tonight. I reckon the vet, having examined the injury, will most likely be able to tell if she was grabbed or got caught in the weldmesh, so at least I'll know. I suppose either way what I need to do is put some finer mesh over the existing stuff...

 

Thanks for taking such an interest anyway!

 

S.

[Budgies]

Good luck at the vet's tonight Sarah. Glad your girl is seemingly ok.

[Sarahw12]

Well, the vet was lovely, sympathetic and pragmatic at the same time.

 

The wound is horrific, much worse than I had realised. The vet's cleaned it all out, given a painkiller, prescribed Baytril, and says it's 50:50 chance and she'll look at her again on Friday and if she's improving, great; if she's worsening, she'll put her to sleep on the spot.

 

It is a bite wound- she showed me the puncture marks. I guess it's not hard to imagine how I'm feeling about my Cube right now, and I'll be in touch with Omlet as soon as I've calmed down enough.

 

Big cheers for Feldon Vet's surgeries in Warwickshire, though. Nice one, people.

[sgregson]

Sarah, I bet you're so relieved that you took her to the vets... I'm so sorry to hear that she was got by a fox. I hope that she recovers well, it sounds as though she's got a very good chicken mummy

 

Keep us posted with her progress.

[Egluntyne]

Fingers crossed for her.

[munchkin]

Hi,

 

So sorry to hear about your injured hen. Fingers crossed she makes a full recovery . Could you let me know which vet you used in Warwickshire as I live in Coventry and I am finding it difficult to find a chicken friendly vet.

 

Thanks

[Sarahw12]

PM sent. (I don't know this forum very well, and don't want to go TOO far with the advertising!).

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Sarah, you would have been fine putting your vet's details in your post . It's always good to hear of a chicken-friendly vet (they can be hard to find ). In fact, if they are really good they can be added to this Forum Recommended Vets list .

[Budgies]

How's your poorly girl faring today Sarah?

[Sarahw12]

She's holding her wing in a much better position this morning (I'd say two-thirds closer to its normal position then it was yesterday). No further blood loss apparent. Still eating and drinking. I'm still trying to be realistic and not get my hopes up too much.

 

I reckon she probably had about half of the morning dose of Baytril- I need to find something more exciting to hide it in!

 

I'm going out to make my first solo attempt at wound cleaning as soon as I've been and bought some cotton wool.

[Budgies]

It's so tough nursing these girls and trying to be pragmatic but secretly hoping they'll pull through. I've heard some amazing stories of recovery and the chooks can be very tenacious.

 

At least you're doing all the right things, good luck with the wound bathing later.

[Sarahw12]

I've bathed it!

 

I was really stressed about the whole process, but I managed the whole thing (using the "hen on her back on the table" approach). The wound still looks nasty, but sort of more clearly defined than yesterday- definitely not bleeding any more, and I can see what's wing and what's breast now. Massive bruising though, poor girl.

 

She's disappeared into the next box for the last half hour, after a good rootle round the garden. I peeped in a couple of times, and the first time she was definitely picking at it, but the second she was sat in a perky-looking manner in the straw like she might think about an egg...

 

Thanks again for your support/encouragement!

[Egluntyne]

Arnica pilules (30c 3 or 4 times a day) and Arnica cream are very good for bruising.

[sgregson]

Well done, Sarah. Sounds like you're doing a great job

[Budgies]

Well done on bathing her wound Sarah, sounds like you're doing a great job.

 

she was definitely picking at it,

Did your vet talk to you about disguising the wound so she won't be tempted to peck at it? I've not used the purple spray myself (gentian violet) but I'm wondering if she might leave it alone to heal properly if you can use this on the sore bit.

[Sarahw12]

I sent my lodger out to look for arnica this afternoon, but no luck so far! I'll try again tomorrow.

 

The vet didn't say anything about disguising the wound, but it really IS so far under her wing that she could only see it if she was already poking at it anyway. I think I might get in some of the gentian violet for future reference anyway though.

 

She laid again today. I can't help feeling it's a good sign that she's still laying (even though I have to throw the beautiful eggs away because of the antibiotics!).

 

Last night she slept lying down in the straw, and tonight she is perching, but both nights she went to bed very early.

 

I still don't know what's going to happen, and we're away at the weekend, and our lodger is hen-keeping... fingers still firmly crossed.

[Budgies]

There's no doubt that she will know that the wound is there, under her wing, but they have a primitive drive to peck at anything red, which is my only concern.

 

She does sound as though she's doing beautifully though, bless her little beak!!

 

I'm not near you at all am I? I'd be happy to come and sit with her for a while or bathe her wound at the weekend if it helped at all.

[Sarahw12]

Aww, budgies, that's amazingly kind!

 

However, we're in Warwickshire, so it doesn't seem very practical! I'm not going until afternoon tomorrow, by which time she'll have had 4 baths on it, and I'd be hoping it would have a decent scab on it by then anyway...

 

She's still here this morning, anyway!