# Chickens stung by hornets!



## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

When I went outside today my chickens where out and free ranging. I fed them in an area where I sometimes feed them, a hole bunch of hornets flew around my hens and stung them. A few hen's got stung. My hen cow was stung and ran around itching her face and shaking her head. She has a little swollen spot as well as a few others. Benadryl...?
Can chickens get allergic reactions or Asthma from these hornets. There was a hole bunch around one spot on the ground about 50. The ones that went around my hen's there where maybe 10 or 15. I got stung yesterday!


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Here's a picture of Cow the hen who was stings face-



















Does she need Benadryl?


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

Certainly wouldn't hurt to give her some Benedryl. Gave my fuzzy caterpillar infested chickens great relief. Makes the swelling less and the liklihood of death from that less. I would...


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Only give 1/2cc children's benedryl orally within a 24 hour period to each stung chicken. It will prevent the chickens trachea from swelling and suffocating the chicken.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

It's been 4 hours since they where stung. Should I still give it to them?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

At this juncture; I'd just observe them for gaping, possibly head shaking, neck stretching. If you havnt done so, you might want to get a bottle of the childrens liquid benadryl, just in case. Sorry the pic is so big!


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Ok I got it. Is there a possibility of being allergic to the Benadryl? I wouldn't know what to do if she was allergic to it. I don't see any neck shaking or scratching but seems to be moving slower than usual


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

I gave her some. She didn't like it and now she's gurgling alittle!


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Were they hornets or yellow jackets?


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Yellow jackets- she stopped the gurgling


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

You have to wait 24 hours before giving another dose of benadryl. Because she didnt swallow the benadryl liquid easily, it couldve been an indication that there was in fact some swelling in the trachea. The swollen windpipe pressing up against her esophagus, preventing her from swallowing the liquid.
If you believe she's improving, dont give her no more benadryl.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Okay thanks. She seems better today. I have also noticed my buff orp hen has been limping slightly. One foot appears to be swollen a little and she has a larger bottom part of her foot on the swollen foot than the normal foot. It's not super swollen but enough that's she's limping a tiny bit like it hurts to stand on it. She is also molting a little. She was near the hornets when they where swarming around but I don't know if she was stung or she stepped on one.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Here's her foot... Does she need Benadryl? Her swollen foot is on the left.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Wyandotter said:


> Yellow jackets- she stopped the gurgling


I really don't mind bees and hornets or wasps. Yellow jackets are a different story. Just plain nasty for no reason. I've been bitten a few times by paper wasps (they look like yellow jackets) but they were all warning stings. They do not go out of their way to sting you.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Wyandotter said:


> Here's her foot... Does she need Benadryl? Her swollen foot is on the left.
> View attachment 21021
> 
> View attachment 21022


Check the bottom of her footpad for a round dark in color scab, it might be bumblefoot. If there isnt a scab, she may have jumped down from a high location and sprained or pulled a tendon or ligament.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Should I give Benadryl for these?


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

I wiped of dry poop and dirt and there's a little cut that is open, I can see the inside of it. The cut is really small and she doesn't like me touching it. I'm gonna put iodine stuff on it and antibiotics. Would this little infected cut cause this swelling?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Wyandotter said:


> Should I give Benadryl for these?


 No because you dont know if she got stung or not. Scales are tough and I doubt a stinger can penetrate them. It's not the site where the swelling counts, it's what the venom does once it enters into the bloodstream and adverse reactions it causes. Again in chickens, the venom causes swelling of the trachea. Benadryl counteracts the histamines that causes swelling in the trachea. It wont counteract the swelling in a foot or leg for example. You have to watch for labored breathing as mentioned before, perhaps gurgling like you saw.
Too much benadryl in chickens can cause damage to organs and overdoses can kill them. You should only use it for a bonafide emergency.
If it's not bumblefoot, most likely it's a mild tendon or ligament strain or sprain. Are your roosts raised too high inside the coop? Are there places that your birds jump down that could cause this? Heavy breed chickens are susceptible to these types of injuries. The solution is to lower roosts, eliminate high places where they can fly or jump down from.
I would just observe her for now and watch for labored breathing.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Wyandotter said:


> I wiped of dry poop and dirt and there's a little cut that is open, I can see the inside of it. The cut is really small and she doesn't like me touching it. I'm gonna put iodine stuff on it and antibiotics. Would this little infected cut cause this swelling?


Okay. Now we know what it is. Flush with iodine (I prefer betadine.) Then pack the cut with neosporin. Then apply a gauze over the cut and wrap it with vet wrap or duct tape. Remove everything day after tomorrow and repeat flushing, neosporin etc...then remove everything after the 4th day. The cut should be healed by then.
I forgot to mention that cuts on the feet can be deadly. Birds step in poop and other nasty stuff. They can get infected with staph bacteria as well as ecoli. You need to really stay on top of this.

If redness and swelling are present on the 4th day, I recommend getting her started on an antibiotic such as doxycycline or cephalexin.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Ok thanks. I will do that.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

My other hen who was stung on the face is still a little swollen in that area. Benadryl? Also my hen with the swollen foot... I can hear her breathing when I'm really close to her... I can hear her breathing out..


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

She's fine today. My hen who was stung on the face is still a little swollen. I don't know about Benadryl because of over using it, possible swelling of windpipe or not? It's been about 2 1/2 days since the sting.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

If it's been that long she should be ok. No more need for benadryl. Just a little time to heal.


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## Wyandotter (Dec 13, 2015)

Okay thanks for your answer. For my hen with the cut on the foot, I put band aids on it instead of the gauze. It keeps falling of and there's dirt in the scratch I can't get out. Should i soak it.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Wyandotter said:


> Okay thanks for your answer. For my hen with the cut on the foot, I put band aids on it instead of the gauze. It keeps falling of and there's dirt in the scratch I can't get out. Should i soak it.


I would wash it out with soap and water, or soak in epsom salts or soak in Dawn dish soap and water. Put some ointment on it and wrap it. Even if it's a piece of paper towel and some duct tape. Don't use antibacterial soap.


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