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[cavs cats n chicks]

Despite all our efforts to make the garden chick proof my two jump onto the run and then onto a six foot fence and scrat on the forestry land by the house. Today we went to get them in before going out

 

was hiding under a trailer, her breast feathers ruffled and a bare patch, couldn't find anywhere just feathers, she appeared after half an hour of searching, she has a small wound the size of 10p in the middle of her back. Locked them both in the run and tonight given loads of straw to sleep on and keep warm. seems OK a bit subdued. Rang vets and they suggested leaving her tonight and then bathing the wound and dusting with powder tomorrow.

 

We think it might be a neighbours semi feral cat that got them.

 

Has anyone any other advice please what to do for . I thought she might need antibiotics, but vet said wait and see how she goes.

 

They will have to stay shut in for a while, which they hate until I can think of a cunning plan to keep them in. They love it under the trees digging to their hearts content.

 

Any advice would be appreciated

 

Jeanne

[Guest]

sorry to be blunt but I keep reading about how people think their chickens should free range because they are much happier doing so. That's probably quite true but children love to play in the road but parents don't think twice about not letting them!

 

If the area they love to play in isn't safe then I'd say it's wise to keep them in their run, they're not going to suffer because of it.

 

As to the wound, I would ask the vet for antibiotics because if she's been bitten it's very likely to be infected and a course of antibiotics is a wise precaution.

[cavs cats n chicks]

Thanks for the advice, we thought they were quite safe where they were, not a sign of a fox in all the time we have lived here. My cats and my neighbours cat ignore them completely, the only thing we can think of if is this feral cat, although we did hear of a ferret escaping in the area.

 

Will speak to the vet tomorrow.

 

Regards Jeanne

[Plum]

Hope they are ok. I would keep bathing the area and use the vet powder but any sign of swelling and heat I would take them to the vet if you don't anyway.

 

Is there a part of your land that has trees or shrubs you can protect for them I know mine love it under the trees at the bottom of my garden.

[Aggienator]

If something about has had a go at them you will have to keep that out as well as keeping them in. Do hope they are both OK

[sandyhas3chucks]

well put Poet.

I have a friend that insists a fox won't doesn't come to her garden, as she has had hers since May 08.

Well One was PTS and Mr Fox dug her up!

She changed her tune now!

Fox is the most likely, whichever.... she (and you) VERY very thankfully have had a lucky escape.

It is however a hard decision, and one we all have to make for ourselves, mine never Free range except with personal body guard!

[Egluntyne]

How is she this morning?

 

I would bathe the wounds with a weak saline solution and apply the wound powder. As has been suggested, any signs of swelling pus or redness, then a trip to the vet would be a good idea.

 

If the attacker is a cat, some Omlet netting will keep it out, so long as it is positioned away from walls or other points from where it can jump in. Several cats come into my garden, but none have gone inside the enclosure.

[The Dogmother]

How are the wounded girls today?

 

Vet wound powder is brilliant at healing damage and staunching bleeding, but do keep an eye on them.

 

May I suggest that you try attaching some fruit netting to the top of your fencing? That ought to stop them getting over. It's a tough call to make, deciding whether to let your girls free range.... mine do, and they scare the local cats witless

[sandyhas3chucks]

also that stuff you put along the top of fencing is supposed to help deter a fox and therefore cats also.

it is a strip with spikes on!

[Cranfield Kate]

we (by which i mean me while my OH sighs and rolls his eyes) wind old ivy and any cut down branches/ bushy stems over the top of their run and round the sides so the chooks feel like they're scrabbling around under bushes. it has the added advantage of keeping some of the rain off. Of course, they still pace up and down and try to get out but it's an attempt at making it a more "natural" environment for them so they don't feel so desperate to go scrabbling about under trees and bushes. (which they do anyway...sometimes you just want to give up!)

 

[Carol U]

This may be too obvious a suggestion, but have you clipped their wings? With some breeds that is enough to stop them flying up onto things and escaping. Unfortunately, it doesn't work for legbars, who seem perfectly able to fly regardless of flight feathers!

[Cranfield Kate]

if you just clip them on one side, no matter how hard they flap, they won't get off the ground as it unbalances them. it's fine for jumping up and down on to perches and moving forward at speed, but gravity defying leaps are out.

[cavs cats n chicks]

A huge thank you to all of you who have replied. Miss P seems to be going on OK we are checking her wound daily, bathing it and spraying with antiseptic and then the liberal dusting of wound powder. The vet also suggested just keeping and eye on it. It looks very clean, we feel it must have been a cat, as it is more of a split in her skin, when she holds her tail up you wouldn't know it is there it is right under her feathers. She is still laying bless her

 

They are now confined to the Omlette run on a bed of dried leaves and straw. Covered over to keep them dry. They will stay there until we can build a covered run for them

 

We were advised by a chicken keeping neighbour not to clip wings, as they can't fly from danger, I hadn't thought about them flying into it!!! Reading your posts I think it seems a good idea and will do that so hopefully they will stay in their run, when they are allowed out again.

 

I am so pleased to hear it is not just me who has trouble keeping them in, I felt very bad, especially as she was trying to get back in when attacked. They are very affectionate girls and Miss P is so good while we tend to her. The ivy round seems a good idea although I have planted shrubs in there for them, which should bush out come summer

 

Thank you again for all your concern, makes me feel I am not alone

 

I tried to add a picture of the girls, taken Christmas day, but despite following instructions I couldn't get it to paste - hope this is a link. Thanks for the instructions Egultine

 

Regards Jeanne x

 

 

[whoopsie]

Aww how sweet - they look just like mine!

 

I definately advise the wing clipping - just on the one side. Mine were done by the very nice man from Omlet - i'm a bit nervous about having to do it myself next year!!!

[Plum]

Lovely picture and glad they are doing ok.

[docsquid]

Aww..they are lovely! What lovely happy chooks.

 

We clipped our chickens' wings when they tried to fly over the fence into next door. However it hasn't made any appreciable difference to their flying ability - Blodwyn couldn't fly before or after and Gwennie flies pretty well - can get up into lower branches of our Rowan tree, even after clipping.

 

However at the moment they find so much to fascinate them in the garden that they don't try to escape.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to build a larger run and keep them in if I thought they were in danger or couldn't be trusted. I never let them out of the 3m Omlet run when we're not in the house so we can keep an eye on them and hear any alarm calls from them.

[The Dogmother]

Glad to hear that she's OK.

 

Mine all have clipped wings when I frist get any new additions, but I stop clipping them after a couple of months.