9 week old pullet attacked by 8 month old hen. Should I try to close wound or just keep it clean?

[Corp_T]

We're in the process of integrating 4, 9 week old pullets into our flock of 5, 8 month olds. After a few weeks of them getting to know each other we finally let them interact and after 5 hours of peaceful supervised time they were given some unsupervised time so we could get some chores done. When we came back out my wife noticed once of the pullets had what appeared to be a large wound on the back of her head. It looks like there was a peck and some tearing of the skin behind the head causing what looks like a quarter sized "hole" in the back of the head/neck area. We've treated with ointment the first day and we've been using Vetrimycin several times a day since (we're on day 3).

We just noticed that the skin below the wound seems to be sagging and if we pull up gently on the feathers we can almost close the wound. Should we try closing it and taping/gluing it shut? Or just leave it as it and allow it to heal?

Breed: Plymouth Barred Rock
Age: 9 weeks
Behavior: Calm, wants to rejoin her sisters
Eating Drinking?: Yes, eats drinks and poops regularly.
Current Treatment: Isolation, Vetrimycin
Current Home: Pop-up brooder

 

[Debbie292d]

Yikes that looks nasty but yes, from most of the wound treatment reading I've done, mostly on here, we're never to cut the loose skin off but to try use it to cover the wound. I would use Neosporin ointment, the plain stuff. You can actually use super glue to attach it as you'd not really be able to wrap her head tight enough.

 

[Corp_T]

Yikes that looks nasty but yes, from most of the wound treatment reading I've done, mostly on here, we're never to cut the loose skin off but to try use it to cover the wound. I would use Neosporin ointment, the plain stuff. You can actually use super glue to attach it as you'd not really be able to wrap her head tight enough.

There no flap or anything to cut free. It's almost like there was a cut/tear on the back of her head and the neck/head skin fell down like a pair of pants that can be sorta pulled up. It's a lot more secure today so we didn't try closing it up. She's lively and seems to be doing well so we're just going to let her heal and if she ends up with some baggy neck skin, well, more character for her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We just noticed that the skin below the wound seems to be sagging and if we pull up gently on the feathers we can almost close the wound. Should we try closing it and taping/gluing it shut? Or just leave it as it and allow it to heal?

Breed: Plymouth Barred Rock
Age: 9 weeks
Behavior: Calm, wants to rejoin her sisters
Eating Drinking?: Yes, eats drinks and poops regularly.
Current Treatment: Isolation, Vetrimycin
Current Home: Pop-up brooder

Vetrimycin is good to spray the wound, but I'd also put triple antibiotic ointment on the wound so it stays moist.
It will scab over, close up and likely she will grow in new feathers as well.
Even if you clean a wound very well, you risk sealing in bacteria if you stitch, tape or glue. It's best to just let wounds heal from the inside out.