Desperate please help!

[chickenfriend49]

My dogs attacked my poor chicken Henrietta. I know this only happened because she is so friendly/trusting and doesn't run as fast as the other chickens. This is the sweetest chicken there is. She follows me around and stands on my shoulder and arms all the time. I really like her. It's the middle of winter and her wounds aren't too bad but she has absolutely no feathers (except for her head) because my dogs like to take the feathers off of my chickens and leave them like that. They have done it before. They just rip their feathers out and leave. It wouldn't be as big a deal but it's freezing where I live and my chicken is shivering.

I'm really scared she will freeze to death. I have a heater in a small cage with blankets on it that she's in right now and I am feeding her eggs. It sounds really awful to feed a chicken eggs but she needs protein. I have sprayed her with Poultry Wound Spray and gave her a small bath (warm obviously) but she is still filthy and very shaken up. She's so cold and scared. I want to put her with the other chickens but it's too cold to be in the coop without feathers and I'm afraid they will peck at her.

Should I bandage her? Will she get too hot with the heater? What should I set it to? What should I feed her? I need help. Please if you know anything tell me what to do!!

EDIT: Everyone who is saying it's cruel to let my dogs out with the chickens at the same time, I'm sorry I didn't really explain what happened.

Someone was cleaning the coop and left the gate unlocked, and I let the dogs out, because I thought that the gate had been closed. It was a misunderstanding. I'm not a cruel person and it was an accident!

 

[Naser]

It sounds really awful to feed a chicken eggs

No it is not, I do it very often as a treat, many people do.

my dogs like to take the feathers off of my chickens and leave them like that. They have done it before. They just rip their feathers out and leave. It wouldn't be as big a deal

This is really awful, you shouldn't keep chickens, they aren't toys for your dogs

 

[Kawkawkaye]

Keep a firm eye on her for several weeks. Stress can really affect chickens even after the threat has well passed. She may be vulnerable now to many issues, like sour crop. I’m obviously no expert but hopefully you can find some information on preventing stress-caused issues. For a start I’d put a few drops of apple cidar vinegar in her water now and again (good for gut health), and limit any exotic foods she might eat (good easy to digest foods for her include her regular feed, oats, egg...).

Definitely keep her away from the flock until she’s not shaken up. She sounds pretty comfortable with you, so your presence will definitely help her to calm down. Keep her with you if you can, and keep her warm like you’re doing! My chickens love cuddles– I had a sick girl this week who got to sit on my lap wrapped in a rug while I watched tv in the house! (I think maybe they pretend to be sick sometimes so they can have extra snuggles lol)

A loooong time ago we had a flock get attacked by a fox. It took one hen, her feathers were everywhere. And then, several weeks later, she reappears! Turns out she survived the attack but lost all her feathers, and stayed in hiding until she’d grown them all back. Your bird’s lack of feathers will definitely cause her additional stress, and more than likely bullying. The flock will see her as a weakness and will probably try to hurt her big time. I’d keep her isolated from the flock until she’s at least a little bit feathered (if you can). Loneliness can also affect her, so it’s a bit of a double edged sword. Maybe you could socialise her with any docile hens you have (under supervision first, just to be safe).

Bottom line: keep her warm. Feed her gentle foods for a while. Keep her away from the flock.

All the best with your hen!

 

[centrarchid]

I suggest not over investing in responses to this thread until @chickenfriend49 gets back into to flesh out details. As is, a lot of hot buttons have been presented with an issue that causes stress for many.

 

[50-45-1]

sorry this happened to your sweet hen!
It sounds like you need a dog proof run for your chickens, or some serious @SS whipping training for those dogs starting ASAP.
Your hen may have been mauled and have internal injuries. Be prepared if she does not make it.
Under no cercumstances return her to a cold coop. Her coop mates would probably canablize her, and she will die of the cold.
Keep her warm inside, probably for a long time until her feathers return.
If she has open wounds or cuts and punctures that need to heal, use a healing cream like neosporin or triple antiobotic . The wounds need to be kept moist and covered to knit back together. Not good if they dry out.
Keeping chickens with the notion that the chickens need to outrun your dogs is irrisponsible and cruel.
Loose, train or confine one or the other.
Good luck to you and your chickens.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

My dogs attacked my poor chicken Henrietta. I know this only happened because she is so friendly/trusting and doesn't run as fast as the other chickens.

No, this happened because your dog hasn't been trained properly or YOU aren't taking the chickens safety seriously.

Feeding eggs is fine and yes a good source of nutrients including protein... but only 34% protein and 64% fat... formulated ration IS the best feed.

Hope she recovers.

 

[chickenfriend49]

This is really awful, you shouldn't keep chickens, they aren't toys for your dogs
[/QUOTE]

It is ): it happened once before about a year ago and now we are going to be WAY more careful.

 

[chickenfriend49]

Keep a firm eye on her for several weeks. Stress can really affect chickens even after the threat has well passed. She may be vulnerable now to many issues, like sour crop. I’m obviously no expert but hopefully you can find some information on preventing stress-caused issues. For a start I’d put a few drops of apple cidar vinegar in her water now and again (good for gut health), and limit any exotic foods she might eat (good easy to digest foods for her include her regular feed, oats, egg...).

Definitely keep her away from the flock until she’s not shaken up. She sounds pretty comfortable with you, so your presence will definitely help her to calm down. Keep her with you if you can, and keep her warm like you’re doing! My chickens love cuddles– I had a sick girl this week who got to sit on my lap wrapped in a rug while I watched tv in the house! (I think maybe they pretend to be sick sometimes so they can have extra snuggles lol)

A loooong time ago we had a flock get attacked by a fox. It took one hen, her feathers were everywhere. And then, several weeks later, she reappears! Turns out she survived the attack but lost all her feathers, and stayed in hiding until she’d grown them all back. Your bird’s lack of feathers will definitely cause her additional stress, and more than likely bullying. The flock will see her as a weakness and will probably try to hurt her big time. I’d keep her isolated from the flock until she’s at least a little bit feathered (if you can). Loneliness can also affect her, so it’s a bit of a double edged sword. Maybe you could socialise her with any docile hens you have (under supervision first, just to be safe).

Bottom line: keep her warm. Feed her gentle foods for a while. Keep her away from the flock.

All the best with your hen!

Thank you so much!! I really appreciate this I will definitely follow this!

 

[chickenfriend49]

sorry this happened to your sweet hen!
It sounds like you need a dog proof run for your chickens, or some serious @SS whipping training for those dogs starting ASAP.
Your hen may have been mauled and have internal injuries. Be prepared if she does not make it.
Under no cercumstances return her to a cold coop. Her coop mates would probably canablize her, and she will die of the cold.
Keep her warm inside, probably for a long time until her feathers return.
If she has open wounds or cuts and punctures that need to heal, use a healing cream like neosporin or triple antiobotic . The wounds need to be kept moist and covered to knit back together. Not good if they dry out.
Keeping chickens with the notion that the chickens need to outrun your dogs is irrisponsible and cruel.
Loose, train or confine one or the other.
Good luck to you and your chickens.

The gate was left open by accident, I thought it was locked and my dogs are really clever.

I'll definitely take this advice, thank you!

 

[Debbie Collins30]

My dogs attacked my poor chicken Henrietta. I know this only happened because she is so friendly/trusting and doesn't run as fast as the other chickens. This is the sweetest chicken there is. She follows me around and stands on my shoulder and arms all the time. I really like her. It's the middle of winter and her wounds aren't too bad but she has absolutely no feathers (except for her head) because my dogs like to take the feathers off of my chickens and leave them like that. They have done it before. They just rip their feathers out and leave. It wouldn't be as big a deal but it's freezing where I live and my chicken is shivering.

I'm really scared she will freeze to death. I have a heater in a small cage with blankets on it that she's in right now and I am feeding her eggs. It sounds really awful to feed a chicken eggs but she needs protein. I have sprayed her with Poultry Wound Spray and gave her a small bath (warm obviously) but she is still filthy and very shaken up. She's so cold and scared. I want to put her with the other chickens but it's too cold to be in the coop without feathers and I'm afraid they will peck at her.

Should I bandage her? Will she get too hot with the heater? What should I set it to? What should I feed her? I need help. Please if you know anything tell me what to do!!

EDIT: Everyone who is saying it's cruel to let my dogs out with the chickens at the same time, I'm sorry I didn't really explain what happened.

Someone was cleaning the coop and left the gate unlocked, and I let the dogs out, because I thought that the gate had been closed. It was a misunderstanding. I'm not a cruel person and it was an accident!