Large wound in my hen's side, what should I do????

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marthak897

marthak897

Chirping
7 Years
Apr 24, 2012
21
0
67
Southern Minnesota


Went out to the coop for nightly chores and found one of my hens with blood on her side. Upon further inspection I found a very large (about the size of my palm) open area under her right wing. My guess in one of the boys was having too much fun with her and ripped her side open. I can see her muscle, but she is not hardly bleeding at all. I have put her in a large dog carrier with clean bedding some food and water for now until I figure out what more to do with her. Is this something I can take care of on my own or should I seek help from the local vet? I know it's not the best picture, but she wasn't happy when my brother tried to pick her up. The rooster attacked him at the same time. He was messin' with one of his ladies.
 
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Slather the wound with a non pain killer antibiotic, remove any feathers or debris, isolate her from the rooster. As gross as it appears, such wounds generally heal quite well , but it will take a while. In the summer, infestation with maggots is a concern. You mention 'roosters' how many do you have? Frequently roosters gang breeding hens or knocking one another off help to cause this damage. Some roosters are just too clumsy or aggressive and should be removed from the flock. Sometimes trimming the toenails and spur points of the rooster helps prevent such injuries. Check your other hens, and good luck with getting this hen back in shape.
 
I have 2 roosters and 7 hens, we are looking at getting rid of one of the roos as my production red is now beating up on my buff orpington roo. We have been rotating the roosters and hens in 2 diffferent pens for now usually 3-4 hens to one rooster. They were fine when they were able to get outside all day but now that it is cold outside they don't venture out as much. Thanks for the help.
 
I had a very similar thing happen to one of my hes last summer. I think the roosters spur cut her, I cleaned it out with saline and sprayed it once a day with an antibiotic spray for a week. It healed nicely but took about a good month to fully heal.
 
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Found another hen with a wound tonight. Not as bad as the one yesterday, but sad none the less. I have quarentined her as well and am off to get another large dog carrier for her too. If I find another wounded hen tomorrow I know which rooster is causing the problem and he will have to go.
 
I am sorry to hear that you found another hen the same
sad.png
. Try trimming his toe nails or spurs if they are quite sharp and long.
 
Just an update. It has only been a few days, but the girls are healing nicely. They do look lonely in separate kennels though. Do you think it would be ok to put them together or will the peck at each others wounds?
 
Glad they are looking better and on the mend! Well if their wounds are open and visable I would hesitate putting them together, or put them together and watch them. Or put stop peck or bitter spray on or around the wound?? You have to be careful they can peck at each others wounds and make it way worse. At least with my hen the tip of her wing covered it.
 
My girls doing great. One has been back with the others for a couple weeks now, still featherless in some areas but her skin is healed beautifully. Henny Penny's (I now have a name for her yeah!) wound is healed just waiting for the last of her skin to toughen up a bit and I think she will be back with the others by next weekend. I do have an area in the coup blocked off to transition her back with the others. Can't wait til all my girls are back together. And the roo that was wounding the hens has gone the way of the dinosaurs
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, I just couldn't take the chance of him hurting any of the other hens or someone elses.
 

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