Chicken bald back

[Shilojo]

Just got a call at work from my husband. He'd let the chickens out to free range around the garden and a fox managed to get one. She's alive but he says she looks pretty traumatised, wouldn't even eat a grape(!), her leg is at a funny angle and there's a gash on it. He says she can move it and it doesn't look broken but she's walking with the foot turned in a bit. I've said to clean wound and put some antiseptic on it but I'm concerned about the leg. No other signs of injury. Any ideas?

 

Feeling a bit shook up myself and I wasn't even there!

[Luvachicken]

I would pop her to the vet if you can, I think others have said before that fox bites need to be treated with antibiotics.

The vet could also give her the once over and make sure her leg is ok.

If you can't get to a vet I would keep her somewhere warm and dark where she can feel safe and recover a bit.

Let us know how she gets on.

[mullethunter]

Ditto.

 

Fingers crossed

[Chickabee]

Same thing happened to one of mine. She went to the vets. Had stitches and antibiotics. Lived for a long time after. Fingers crossed for her

[Shilojo]

Well I didn't get home in time to see her last night. She made it up the ladder to the eglu ok last night but this morning needed some encouragement to leave and struggled to get down the ladder. She laid a soft shelled egg this morning (probably the stress?) but isn't moving much and she seems to be avoiding putting weight on her injured leg. The graze doesn't look too bad (perhaps from fox's claws rather than a bite) but she's finding it difficult to move. When I appeared she tried to come to me but sort of flopped forward. I've given her some corn and we're trying to get a vets appointment for this morning.

[Shilojo]

Back from the vets. Leg is just bruised but we have some antibiotics to give her for her graze and we just need to keep it clean, which we have been doing, and use the antiseptic spray we used yesterday. I've got some poultry tonic which I'll give them in their water too. Hopefully she'll perk up in a few days.

[mullethunter]

That's all good news. Hopefully she'll gradually recover.

[gavclojak]

Poor girl, she was very lucky! It's something we all dread isn't it

[redsunset]

Lovely to read that this chook is going to be fine

[Ain't Nobody Here]

So glad to hear she's not too badly hurt .

[Luvachicken]

What a very lucky chicken

I'm so pleased for you that she is going to be ok.