b2c2chicks
Songster
Stupid me, in all of the panic, forgot to take a picture. I went out to the new coop to get eggs tonight...so they didn’t freeze....since I’ve spent the day at the hospital with my husband. I’m 8 months pregnant and I. AM. PISSED. Never had predator issues, but by George as soon as we aren’t here for one night they strike!!!
One of my Marans hens was on the roost with her tail hanging by the skin and maybe a bit of tendon keeping it in place. On each side of her rump bone it’s a huge deep bloody wound. I’m thinking raccoon but I could be wrong. I don’t think the other 3 hens and roo could’ve been capable of this. I would expect a more messy wound and the tail to not be pulled out of socket had it been them. This looks to be a rather clean bite, with many broken feathers as a result of the struggle.
It looks like something grabbed her by the tail through the 2x4” welded wire and pulled her to the side of the run, biting just above her tail and pulling it out of socket. There are some feathers scattered on the outside of the run (but also some on the inside) and blood spatter against the perimeter inside the run. None of the others have blood on them. At first I thought it was a severe pecking wound until I realized her tail was drooping....one hen had exposed saddle skin so I assumed it was her...but after a good look, it was actually one of the others.
Does this sound like a raccoon? In the 3 years here, we have NEVER seen raccoons!!! Foxes and opossums all the time...but whatever this was seems to have had hands.
Unless...the rooster broke her tail? Is that even possible?
I’ll take a picture tomorrow when I unbandage her. I don’t know if I should cull or not. I think it will heal, but if it is a broken tail, I’m not sure how that will affect her breeding capability and overall quality of life.
One of my Marans hens was on the roost with her tail hanging by the skin and maybe a bit of tendon keeping it in place. On each side of her rump bone it’s a huge deep bloody wound. I’m thinking raccoon but I could be wrong. I don’t think the other 3 hens and roo could’ve been capable of this. I would expect a more messy wound and the tail to not be pulled out of socket had it been them. This looks to be a rather clean bite, with many broken feathers as a result of the struggle.
It looks like something grabbed her by the tail through the 2x4” welded wire and pulled her to the side of the run, biting just above her tail and pulling it out of socket. There are some feathers scattered on the outside of the run (but also some on the inside) and blood spatter against the perimeter inside the run. None of the others have blood on them. At first I thought it was a severe pecking wound until I realized her tail was drooping....one hen had exposed saddle skin so I assumed it was her...but after a good look, it was actually one of the others.
Does this sound like a raccoon? In the 3 years here, we have NEVER seen raccoons!!! Foxes and opossums all the time...but whatever this was seems to have had hands.
Unless...the rooster broke her tail? Is that even possible?
I’ll take a picture tomorrow when I unbandage her. I don’t know if I should cull or not. I think it will heal, but if it is a broken tail, I’m not sure how that will affect her breeding capability and overall quality of life.
I once found one of my one month olds with his wing bone caught in the fence, as the raccoon had stripped him clean of flesh and feathers over the end part of the wing. Had to research some chicken anatomy, but in the end was able to patch the wound with sugar/honey wraps, and amputated the dead bone/disconnected flesh. Now hes my favorite rooster, and has only one wing. Chickens usually have a very high pain tolerance and are quick to heal. If theres a "pouch" in the skin, ie a deep wound with skin disconnected, keep it clean with a betadine and sterile water solution, then put a bacitracin/neosporin ointment, and I highly recommend sugar on top of the ointment for faster healer. Her skin may reattach itself after a few days if kept clean.
