Urgent Please! Hen has huge hole below vent - Fly Strike Confirmed

suebee

Speaks Silkie Fluently
16 Years
Apr 1, 2007
2,089
159
371
N. Carolina
My hen was feeling listless w/ puffed up feathers and lose stool so I gave her a bath. That's when I saw a large hole below her vent! It's like something has eaten the flesh. No blood. I only had Bactrin ointment so used that. I don't know how I'd apply gauze or pack it with something. She is dying, please help with any idea's. Hard to see in this pic.
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I wonder if she had fly strike, did you flush and check the hole out well and check if there were any maggots? I would clean and flush the wound as best you can using a really diluted betadine soln or hydrogen peroxide. I would also put her on antibiotics if you have any. Here are a couple of links to chickens that had fly strike with pictures and they look very similar to what your girl has. Is she eating and drinking?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...autionary-tale-with-graphic-photo-progression
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/831516/fly-blown-chicken
 
After more research I'm thinking it's fly strike. It has an awful smell too. Love to get any advice.
 
Kelsie we must have posted at the exact time. I bathed the area and put bactrin ointment on. I didn't see any maggots in the hole but maybe I should dig around....just don't want to hurt her.
 
She just started acting listless and puffed up this morning. Yesterday she was eating, drinking, free ranging. She may have had it a while but not shown symptom or had flies on her that I observed. After her bath just an hour ago I wrapped her in a towel and put her in the nestbox. She's going down hill fast. I don't think she'll make it. Thanks for you post w/ links.
 
Sorry about your girl. Chickens are bad about not showing that they are sick until they are pretty far gone. If you want to keep working on her, I would check that hole over really really well for maggots, they maybe up inside along the skin line. Try to get some liquids into her, nutridrench and pedialye or something similar if you have it. Do you have any antibiotics you could put her on?
 
I'm force feeding cooked oatmeal w/ Duramycin. She won't drink or eat but getting the laced oatmeal in her is easier than liquid right now.
 
The bird may have a secondary infection. Don't let the bird get chilled after that bath. If the wound contained maggots and the bird picked them off, they could have contained the botulinum toxin. This is what causes what we commonly call limberneck in chickens. Here is some information about botulism: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/19/botulism

With wounds like that, Penicillin is often used. Here is some information about administering Penicillin: https://sites.google.com/a/poultryp...oultry-podiatry#chickens_penicillin_injection
 
Thank you both for the links. If she makes it through the night I'll start giving her shots of penicillin. Obviously I can't see in the hole. I see a yellow "thing" slightly protruding at the hole I'm thinking is fat. I don't see any maggots, in fact, no maggots in the bath water either.
I will be devastated if I lose her. Most of my silkies were hatched and raised by her. She was featured in the Beat This Record, How long Broody stays with Chicks Post. She has a "boyfriend" that will also will be heartbroken beyond repair. Here's some pics.
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