Sooo much pooping

[JM]

Sorry for this long post - I'm just getting it off my chest!! I think we have got off lightly but it was still a shock!

 

Yesterday lunchtime, our chooks were attacked by a neighbour’s terrier who had escaped from their garden. I heard barking which I suddenly realised was coming from our garden, and ran down to where the chooks are (in their Omlet netting run) to find this terrier running round and round barking - trying to grab the chooks. They were really upset - Daphne managed to get herself into the Cube run, Bunty just lay down and kept her head down under a bush, but Winnie (who was under another bush) was caught by the tail by the dog.

 

I tried to catch the dog, but it was too quick for me, (but I noticed a lot of feathers as I chased it). So I lifted Bunty into the cube run, (I couldn't see Winnie at this point but thought the worst after seeing the feathers), then noticed the dog had stopped and was licking its back foot (I don’t know what it had done as I was at the other side of the netting area) – then it came crawling over to me, so I grabbed it by the scruff of the neck – and saw Winnie coming out from under the bush looking rather tailless. She wandered over to the bramble bush and just sat under it.

 

I didn’t want to let the dog go for it to go on the rampage again so I carried the dog to OH who was in the front garden and hadn’t heard anything. I was going to let him hold the dog while I dealt with Win, but as chance had it, the owner was outside in the lane, calling for the dog just as I came round the front with steam coming out of my ears saying very loudly “This dog has just attacked the chickens”…. The owner said “I don’t blame you” when I said I was annoyed (actually what I said was a lot stronger…) – I think that he could see just how angry I was as I thrust the dog into his arms saying “This is YOUR dog…”, so he sensibly didn’t say much! He did ask if the chooks were OK (but I’d only seen the state of Win’s tail)

 

I then went to see the chooks – Daphne and Bunty are fine, but Winnie has lost most of her tail feathers and had a bloody wound just on the edge of her vent – I don’t know if that is the result of feathers being torn out, or whether it is a dog tooth mark. I bathed it and kept Winnie and Bunty separate from Daphne (who had already started to peck poor old Win’s bum) then dashed over to the farm shop to get some antiseptic powder which I puffed all over the wound. I then kept a close eye on them all and decided to keep Winnie separate overnight (she had a cat box all to herself in the cube).

 

She is fine mainly – she’s eating, drinking and sleeping, her wattles and comb are red and her eyes are bright, and what’s left of her tail was still up this morning before I left - but she didn’t poo last night and we don’t think she has done anything this morning either. The wound on her vent has dried up and looks OK – but the vent doesn’t move (it must be sore when it flexes). I looked at her this morning before I went to work, and she was up and interested, but OH has said she’s retired to the cat box in the cube, flicking Aubiose on her back when she’s disturbed (she does this normally when she’s in the nest box).

 

Other than keeping an eye on her, is there anything else I should be doing?

 

Thanks

 

Jill

[Plum]

How awful for you, I would have been just as mad.

 

I would keep an eye out for infection but also the shock may have upset laying. Not sure what advice to give

[Charlottechicken]

Oh how horrible, I'm not surprised you are mad

 

Sounds like you have done all you can for your girl. I hope she recovers quickly, she is probably still in a state of shock.

 

Just a thought, have you tried rescue remedy, I think some have used it for their hens.