Hen Blind and Not Eating On Own After Coyote Attack--Advice?

[Gezellige_Poes]

On the wound, or orally?

Oh, sorry, need to qualify this better. I made a paste and applied it to the tip of his beak.

 

[alinas2010]

Can you post photos of her and her eyes?

You can try Torpedo feeding her to get nutrients into her.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...eeding-what-is-it-and-when-to-use-it.1532744/

Here is a picture of here from from post #7 @Wyorp Rock, there are more pictures of her eyes on that post.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm wondering if she won't open her eyes because they are painful, like maybe her corneas got injured. Some terramycin ointment could be helpful.

I agree, flushing the eyes with saling, then using Terramycin is a good idea.

@chickensinthewoods does this hen have lice/mites or fleas around the eyes? Hard to tell if that's debris or perhaps sticktight fleas.

She's not in good shape for it being 10days after an attack. I'd work on hydration and get nutrition into her. If she's not eating and Torpedo feeding doesn't help. Tube feed her with Kaytee Exact Baby Brid Formula to see if this will get her through this rough patch.

Re-check for any missed injuries, puncture wounds, abrasions, etc. Sometimes injuries are hidden. Sometimes internal damage or neurological damage can happen during an attack as well.

 

[Gezellige_Poes]

I agree, flushing the eyes with saling, then using Terramycin is a good idea.

@chickensinthewoods does this hen have lice/mites or fleas around the eyes? Hard to tell if that's debris or perhaps sticktight fleas.

She's not in good shape for it being 10days after an attack. I'd work on hydration and get nutrition into her. If she's not eating and Torpedo feeding doesn't help. Tube feed her with Kaytee Exact Baby Brid Formula to see if this will get her through this rough patch.

Re-check for any missed injuries, puncture wounds, abrasions, etc. Sometimes injuries are hidden. Sometimes internal damage or neurological damage can happen during an attack as well.

Just a note here, point-counterpoint?, we did not see the before pics. It was apparently a brutal, vicious attack meant to kill, so I would argue this hen is doing very well all things considered.

 

[chickensinthewoods]

I agree, flushing the eyes with saling, then using Terramycin is a good idea.

@chickensinthewoods does this hen have lice/mites or fleas around the eyes? Hard to tell if that's debris or perhaps sticktight fleas.

She's not in good shape for it being 10days after an attack. I'd work on hydration and get nutrition into her. If she's not eating and Torpedo feeding doesn't help. Tube feed her with Kaytee Exact Baby Brid Formula to see if this will get her through this rough patch.

Re-check for any missed injuries, puncture wounds, abrasions, etc. Sometimes injuries are hidden. Sometimes internal damage or neurological damage can happen during an attack as well.

So grateful for all the comments and ideas!

Agree with everyone that this was a hideous event for her all the way around. It's a miracle she's alive. And yet we don't want to be cruel and keep force-feeding her if she'll never be able to eat on her own again. (Nor could we practically keep that up--it takes two of us already. We are lucky we have a small blip in time where the neighbor and I are both in town and able to teamwork this but that's not going to last.)

We have been flushing her eyes with Vetericyn Plus Anti Microbial Poultry Spray plus dabbing with antibiotic ointment which I think has helped her be able to at least slightly open her eyes now and then. It gives her some lubrication at least and there's no obvious infection.

I'm pretty sure that's debris (not mites) on her face as it washed off this morning. Dust sticks to the eye ointment. That being said, we were concerned about mites after some initial scratching between her feathers and dosed her and the entire coop with diatomaceous earth. She preens now and then but doesn't seem itchy the last couple days.

Right now she's getting fed three times a day--at least a tablespoon, sometimes more, and we try and help her drink every couple hours with a spoon. Occasionally she'll drink on her own from her tray but not reliably.

Last night we brought her in as it was a tad chilly and she seemed to like that. We also had some snuggle time this morning and I played her some soft instrumental music which she responds to. Got the first little boop-boop sounds in this entire time. Her posture really changes throughout the day--sometimes she looks almost perky but the majority of the time she sleeps. Assuming her best healing happens then so we try not to disturb her more than necessary.

Will research the pain relief options in the post someone else attached. Thank you all!!!

 

[chickensinthewoods]

Just wanted to share my experience with a blind hen, though it’s a bit different. Around two years ago, one of my EE hens started gradually losing her sight. I think it was/is cataracts. She was able to get around okay, but eventually started running into things, and not being able to get on the roost at night. She started getting picked on so I had to separate her with a friend who wouldn’t pick on her. She does get along just fine with her friend now and has no trouble finding food and water as long as they’re in the same place every day. She lives in a small area so that she can get around and not get lost. It’s a little different than your hen because mine lost her sight gradually and yours it was all of a sudden. But there is hope for your hen. Mine has now lived two full and happy years without her sight. Yours is probably still in shock a little bit, she’s in a new area and it’s a lot for her to take in. My hen has learned that when I hold my hand out in front of her, it means there’s food. I started teaching her this with mulberries which she really loves, and now she just pecks at my hand whenever I hold it out in front of her. It’s just a matter of finding out what works for your hen, and since it is an injury there is hope that she can recover.

Such a hopeful story!!!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So grateful for all the comments and ideas!

Agree with everyone that this was a hideous event for her all the way around. It's a miracle she's alive. And yet we don't want to be cruel and keep force-feeding her if she'll never be able to eat on her own again. (Nor could we practically keep that up--it takes two of us already. We are lucky we have a small blip in time where the neighbor and I are both in town and able to teamwork this but that's not going to last.)

We have been flushing her eyes with Vetericyn Plus Anti Microbial Poultry Spray plus dabbing with antibiotic ointment which I think has helped her be able to at least slightly open her eyes now and then. It gives her some lubrication at least and there's no obvious infection.

I'm pretty sure that's debris (not mites) on her face as it washed off this morning. Dust sticks to the eye ointment. That being said, we were concerned about mites after some initial scratching between her feathers and dosed her and the entire coop with diatomaceous earth. She preens now and then but doesn't seem itchy the last couple days.

Right now she's getting fed three times a day--at least a tablespoon, sometimes more, and we try and help her drink every couple hours with a spoon. Occasionally she'll drink on her own from her tray but not reliably.

Last night we brought her in as it was a tad chilly and she seemed to like that. We also had some snuggle time this morning and I played her some soft instrumental music which she responds to. Got the first little boop-boop sounds in this entire time. Her posture really changes throughout the day--sometimes she looks almost perky but the majority of the time she sleeps. Assuming her best healing happens then so we try not to disturb her more than necessary.

Will research the pain relief options in the post someone else attached. Thank you all!!!

Sounds good.

All you can do is keep treating her eyes and keeping her fed/watered. Hopefully she'll pull through this.

Keep us posted on how she's getting along.

 

[chickensinthewoods]

DAY 12 Well, Silver is not giving up and we haven't either. Still don't know how this will play out but she had a few more signs of improvement today.

Yesterday you might remember were her first boop-boop sounds. This morning she actually clucked and booped and then after breakfast (scrambled egg, blueberry, Farmer's Dog wet food) she scratched around in her crate which was a NEW activity since the injury. Her head didn't seem to know what to do--there was a swipe maybe but no pecks, and then she slept for six hours.

We woke her up for this afternoon's feeding and she was very feisty. This was her first fresh greens and those were definitely interesting to her. She also liked the blackberry and tolerated the scrambled egg but was not into the wet dog food this time (or maybe we'd just been messing with her for too long) and got so irritated she opened both eyes part way and started looking for the exit. Don't think she could see anything but light and dark still, but we put her outside since it had warmed up and she started scratching in the straw and gave a few strong pecks!!! Didn't actually manage to eat anything but that is the first real scratch/peck instinct. I put her in the feed tray and she got right back out so she's got a ways to go, but this is the most hopeful and exciting day so far.

We will bring her back for dinner and bed inside tonight and maybe play her some more music which she seems to really like.

 

[Gezellige_Poes]

That Is Just THE Best News Ever! Thank you SO much for the update and caring for her as you have! Go Silver!

 

[chickensinthewoods]

One last pic for today. Lady Marmalade came in and snuggled down right next to Silver's crate. Pretty sweet.