That's sad. I am facing a situation I don't like either. My neighbors live in the country but yet kill squirrels, moles, birds, anything they can get their hands on. Thy are CONSTANTLY putting out poision for slugs and other bugs and I just bought a baby duck. I am VERY careful that I NEVER let my duck outside alone or near their yard. Once my dogs accidentaly ran over there when I turned my back for a second and the sobs chased them with a hoe. I really don't like them!

Ah that is so sad. Hope the hen recovers. I chased a hawk off of my little hens last week. Amazed it took off when it saw me. Chickens stay out of the pasture! Feel so bad they follow me every where.

ML

Well when I got home Blackie is quite a bit better. She is holding her tail almost normal, she was drinking on her own and following her coop mates around. I boiled some more eggs and gave them all a treat and she ate quite a bit. Her color is good also. She acutally flew up and roosted so she must have been feeling a lot better, but one more night in the house sure will not hurt her. More antibiotic spray and into the crate she went. I am so thankful!

Thanks for the kind words from you all! I appreciate it! Hope all your birds stay safe!

Glad Blackie is improving! :) In addition to the Pedialyte, you can offer her goodies like scrambled eggs, raw corn, live mealworms, diced tomatos and grapes, cooked hamburger, etc. Anything that will give her a nutritional boost (especially protein) and give her a leg up on feeling better.

If she has a gaping wound on her back, you can try the cell migration technique outlined here (go to this page and scroll down & click on 'cell migration'):

http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/contents.htm

I've known several people who have used it with complete success. :) My chicken info page may also have some things that might help:

http://home.earthlink.net/~velvetsparrow/VSChick.htm

Velvet ~:>

Velvet, Thanks for the info! I read the cell migration information but I am not so sure it isn't too late for that. The Furox is a dry spray and makes and keeps the wound dry, and I think with 5 days of this, I likely am not going to have any success with the cell migration. I will look at her again this evening and see but as of last night, the wound is about the size of a quarter. It seems as though it will heal but I cannot even begin to talk from experience as I was a young child the last time I doctored a chicken or bird. I have great success with the horses with the furox spray keeping away infection and making good clean new tissue.

Blackie is feeling much better, tail is normal, color is normal and she is wanting to come out of the pen and go foraging, but due to all the rain and the new rule of no chickens out without us in the yard, she will have to stay in until this weekend.

I did read your site before I posted the first time and found it very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to post and maintain it, I apprecited the help when I was in need.

We doctor her every evening and I am watching her to make sure no systemic infection sets in. I guess things could have been worse and they could have actually done some muscle damage rather than just torn skin. I am still no more accomodating to those dogs!!! I have my plans for thier "training" to come no where near my house. Too bad they cannot just have responsible owners! New gates and such going up to keep them out too, but since they are small (Jack Russels) they can problaby slip into my property easily enough. I miss my dog who would take on all intruders!