Chickens had a bad week but great Christmas

[smokeythecat]

It all started Saturday late afternoon. I had the security cameras on, as watching the chickens and folks walking their dogs is more entertaining than politics on the TV. They were raising a fit, and of course that meant something was after them.

I stepped outside and a nasty, nasty, nasty looking fox was trying to get them. I yelled at it (first line of defense), and it stopped and stared and snarled at me. It looked like a zombie fox. All its hair was standing straight up like it had been in a dryer too long and a lot of hair was missing. Several BIG patches were gone. It apparently had mange (deadly in foxes), the winter temps kill them and who knows what else.

Danged thing just stood there and glared at me. Not very good. It was 15' away from me. Finally I flapped my arms and it left. Chickens were really rattled.
I close the door and go back inside. I look out the window and the creep is back! So I yell and knock on the glass and it goes off again.

So I settle back in and see it coming back out of the woods! That cut it!

I went outside and it ran back maybe 50' total from me near the car. I then unleashed on it.
It just stood there and stared at me like I was stupid, then ran off into the woods. It will not come back.

Next morning when I went out poor Scrambles was covered in her blood, she had tried so hard to get away she tore up her upper beak on the wire cage they are in. Blood all over her, the pen. I thought she was going to die.

Well she didn't and is getting better and the other hen has been seen picking her little chest clean!

So this morning they had chicken food, then a sausage biscuit I bought for them, then later a can of cat food, lots of protein and finally scrambled eggs with the shells.

They will be six years old in March.

 

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[kenstein]

Merry Christmas, Smoky. You're a good mama. Glad they survived.

 

[Blak bart]

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to scrambles the chicken and smokey the cat.

 

[TimberCrack]

quit flapping your arms and start shootin'...12 gauge with #4 Buckshot works really well at that range..

 

[GaRebel1861]

Yep. A shotgun would be my answer to the problem as well.

 

[smokeythecat]

No shotguns here. The neighbors moved here from the city. They would panic. I have my ways...

 

[jbuenavides]

I am glad they are still alive, it is indeed still a Merry Christmas.

 

[smokeythecat]

Yes, it is. Scrambles the Wonder Chicken, a buff orphington, just sat there for the longest time after the attack. I was kind of surprised she was still alive the next morning. In human years she would be probably 80. I have had them since they were 2 weeks old. They are elderly now.

 

[Honest Samuel]

Your chickens eat better than most of us here.

 

[smokeythecat]

Honest Samuel, there is a lot of truth to your statement. Truth of the matter is it's almost impossible to get that sausage biscuit to someone who really needs it. Governments get in the way, as does theft and greed.

 

[newnan man]

Did any of your chickens ever cross the road? Sorry I couldn't resist. I'm glad they made it. I had snakes getting to my parakeets, had to make the cage mesh smaller. Thing got in and ate one of my new babies! One time one got in and decided to sleep it off in the bottom of the cage. I couldn't kill it, the poor snake was doing what came natural. I did take it to some woods far away.

 

[smokeythecat]

I have rescued a few snakes before. Once there was a gorgeous milk snake that had just shed in the middle of the road here. I stopped the car, rolled down the window and told it to get out of the road. Seriously. And it did. The hens don't cross the road, and if they are out, I have to be right there with them. I wonder if I should get antibiotics for them. Scrambies beak is really messed up with some big but decent looking blood clots forming on the outside. She is very elderly.

 

[Megalodon]

The milk snake and the coastal plain milk snake are among the most beautiful snakes. The latter species is further south of you. I've been fortunate to have seen both and can attest that they blend in very well on a brick porch. My daughter didn't care for snakes and naturally, was like a magnet for them and especially these pretty little snakes.

https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/viewSpecies.php?species=16171

Glad the chickens survived the attack. If worried about infection, perhaps some antibiotic such as tetracycline in their drinking water and/or a topical might help. Check with your vet or feed store.

I also would not be able to use a shotgun for similar reasons. To minimize noise, a .22 subsonic fired from a rifle rather than a handgun, is reasonably quiet. But sight in the rifle with these slower rounds as they drop more than higher velocity bullets.

 

[smokeythecat]

I'm not that sophisticated. Need quiet! It was quick. It had mange and maybe even something else and would have died miserable in a few weeks anyhow, with that much fur gone. I'm thinking rabies or distemper also as it just stopped and stared at me! Very unnerving.

The milk snake I saw wasn't as colorful. Maybe a copperhead...now you tell me.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Smokeycat, my heart just broke for little Scrambles.
I have 2 little Quaker parrots, they'll be 21 yo next May.
They too, have been showing signs of slowing down.

I'd be wondering if purple pig medicine, would be a decent topical for birds.
Could probably get it from the feed store. I call it purple pig medicine,
cause Grandma used it on the pigs, afterwards... or any of the animals if they needed it.
Never saw it on the chickens, though (never saw them hurt, 'cept helicoptering & an ax).
She'd spray us kids, too, if needed. Last thing you wanted to do at Grandmas,
was let her know you had a booboo. You'd be wearing purple....

Glad it was quick for the fox. Gotta admit,
I chuckled at the "snow angel" comment, thinking, good shot.
(Careful about the fluids, too, if possibly diseased)
We gotta super-coon around here, will give that same, unintimidated stare.
It's HUGE, charged the neighbor with her little dogs, one night, been in the hood for years.
I been trying to trap it for a while now, even bought a larger trap.
Had a possum, this morning...

Please keep us updated on little Scrambles.
Prayers....

 

[fyrffytr1]

If I cut my finger can I come by for lunch?

 

[Megalodon]

I'm not that sophisticated. Need quiet! It was quick. It had mange and maybe even something else and would have died miserable in a few weeks anyhow, with that much fur gone. I'm thinking rabies or distemper also as it just stopped and stared at me! Very unnerving.

The milk snake I saw wasn't as colorful. Maybe a copperhead...now you tell me.

The eastern milk snake is the one you have there. South of you, we have both the eastern and the less common coastal plain milk snake. The colors, especially that of the eastern milk snake, are pretty variable:

https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/viewSpecies.php?species=885

If larger, it could have been a corn snake too. Also harmless and beneficial.

Wishing Scrambles a reasonably full recovery.

 

[tinpan]

Hi , Mange is caused by a mite that burrows under the skin . Can spread to humans ,cats and dogs exposed to places where foxes infected have been. When you cleaned up those chickens you may been exposed to the mange mite infecting your cats too . Watch for excessive licking and scratching a week after the fox attack . Easily treated in humans and cats . No Chickens do not get mange mites.

SMOKEY THE MANGEY OLD CAT . LOL. TP

 

[smokeythecat]

Mangy, huh? Oh well. I haven't handled the chickens in a week, giving them time to rest. I am calling the vet about an antibiotic, but it may look worse than it is. Poor Scrambie! Buttercup wanted to let you know she got hurt a little too. Big Red said "huh?".

 

[smokeythecat]

SCRAMBLES WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW SHE IS FEELING BETTER. Her "nose" is very bruised, but the big nasties fell off over night and she's looking pretty good.