Hawk Injury Healing.....NOW WHAT?!?! (Stressing)

[ShiviBear]

Good morning fine people
A chicken of mine was attacked by a hawk over a week ago and a large portion of her neck skin was ripped off (50% +). Here is my original post detailing the initial treatment and treatment a week later here.
I kept her separated for over a week, kept her wound clean, uncovered, and slathered in triple antibiotic ointment.
She went through 6 days of .35ml injectable Pen G IM in her breast.
Her wound was not looking great at first, then we hit some sort of turning point and it literally seemed to dry overnight.
This is what it looks like today.

A few days before that it looked like this:


Under the scab is just raw skin again.
If I were to peel the scab off it would be right back to square one and I am so stressed about this chicken's future. I doubt she will grow feathers back there and although cold weather took a break this week....it's coming back soon.
So now what? She's been in a small enclosure with the nicest hen and a nice rooster and they leave her alone. Most of the flock goes after her though.
How long will that last? How long do I have to keep her separated?


And NOW, to add to everything, she smells AWFUL.
Its not the wound, it like her body....very musky.
Did I throw her skin balance off with antibiotics? Can I powder her if she has mites with such a large wound?
Ugh....I still have farm work and 60 other chickens to take care of.
And to add insult to injury, the rest of the flock is now shaking their heads, and some have diarrhea and now I have to figure that out

I'm still pretty new at this and feel very overwhelmed at the moment, actually.

Any advice or suggestions? Thank you!

 

[casportpony]

This is what it looks like today.

I think it looks pretty darn good.

 

[RainbowHen]

Looks great! You can give her a bath with mild soap if she is stinky. Be sure to not get the wound wet.

 

[Shadrach]

First picture. White hen called Dink. This was a wound from a Goshawk. Rip about 4 inches long and one inch wide. Almost a month before she was fit enough to rejoin her tribe.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/injuries-and-sickness-pictures-under-construction.75210/
The skin on wounds where skin is torn away from the flesh below can take months to fill in. One hen here who had a patch ripped off her chest (Goshawk again) was fit enough to be with her tribe within a couple of days. Her wound got disinfected and coated with Stockholm Tar. It took two moults before feathers regrew on the torn patch and she still has a small piece of live skin hanging from her chest.
So, don't despair. The wond while not pleasent to look at doesn't look infected and that's a great step forward.
I haven't had much experience in the use and effects of antibiotics so whether the antibiotics are contributing to the smell I don't know. What I have noticed here is if a chicken is prevented from dust bathing for a few days, the oil that accumulates on their skin starts to smell. This may be what you are smelling.
Mite powder you could probably apply, but not directly to the wound site.

Great she has some company. Chicken company is a major factor in recovery I've found.
I think you've done really well tbh. That wasn't a starter type injury. Good luck with the rest of the flock.

 

[WindingRoad]

Good morning fine people
A chicken of mine was attacked by a hawk over a week ago and a large portion of her neck skin was ripped off (50% +). Here is my original post detailing the initial treatment and treatment a week later here.
I kept her separated for over a week, kept her wound clean, uncovered, and slathered in triple antibiotic ointment.
She went through 6 days of .35ml injectable Pen G IM in her breast.
Her wound was not looking great at first, then we hit some sort of turning point and it literally seemed to dry overnight.
This is what it looks like today.
View attachment 2401057
A few days before that it looked like this:
View attachment 2401060

Under the scab is just raw skin again.
If I were to peel the scab off it would be right back to square one and I am so stressed about this chicken's future. I doubt she will grow feathers back there and although cold weather took a break this week....it's coming back soon.
So now what? She's been in a small enclosure with the nicest hen and a nice rooster and they leave her alone. Most of the flock goes after her though.
How long will that last? How long do I have to keep her separated?
View attachment 2401079

And NOW, to add to everything, she smells AWFUL.
Its not the wound, it like her body....very musky.
Did I throw her skin balance off with antibiotics? Can I powder her if she has mites with such a large wound?
Ugh....I still have farm work and 60 other chickens to take care of.
And to add insult to injury, the rest of the flock is now shaking their heads, and some have diarrhea and now I have to figure that out

I'm still pretty new at this and feel very overwhelmed at the moment, actually.

Any advice or suggestions? Thank you!

A scab is nature's best bandaid. Please don't remove it. Let nature take it's course now. You've done the hard and good part. Remember chickens were wild once. And they have survived with many things. Attacks, worms, poor nutrition, active roosters you name it. What you might have done with antibiotics is throw off her digestive tract. Maybe some probiotics to get her gut flora back in balance.

If she is eating, drinking and pooping she's on the mend. You've done a good job.

The head shaking is probably ear mites. I had a stray cat who had them. They vet went crazy when he saw them LOL

 

[ShiviBear]

Ah, I finally had a long enough breather to say a huge THANK YOU for the responses and help!
They say when it rains, it pours...no problems with farm/chickens in months and a span of 48 hours I've got an egg bound hen, roundworm INFESTATION and broken barn windows!!

@Shadrach Your pictures, knowledge and experience saved me SO much worry and angst!

Vulture is doing AWESOME. After everyone's responses I pretty much left her alone, only messing with her long enough to put triple antibiotic on her head. She's been hanging with three other mild hens and a lower pecking order rooster and sleeps in a small coop with them. Since then, her healing has greatly sped up. Being in close contact with her flock mates was the last push she needed to get better!
She is still unable to be with the rest of the flock in main grassy free ranging area as the top hens immediately go for her.
One day at a time.
So thank you again for the help! It was indispensable and I hope I can pay it forward one day.
Oh, and she still stinks but I do think its dirt bath related as she has no access to dirt baths at the moment.
Here she is this morning. She somehow seems to manage directly rub her wound in dirt and nothing else...but since the sock seemed to really aggravate the other hens (to violence, they really hate that pattern maybe) I've left it off. The dirt hasn't slowed down the healing at all.

 

[Shadrach]

Ah, I finally had a long enough breather to say a huge THANK YOU for the responses and help!
They say when it rains, it pours...no problems with farm/chickens in months and a span of 48 hours I've got an egg bound hen, roundworm INFESTATION and broken barn windows!!

@Shadrach Your pictures, knowledge and experience saved me SO much worry and angst!

Vulture is doing AWESOME. After everyone's responses I pretty much left her alone, only messing with her long enough to put triple antibiotic on her head. She's been hanging with three other mild hens and a lower pecking order rooster and sleeps in a small coop with them. Since then, her healing has greatly sped up. Being in close contact with her flock mates was the last push she needed to get better!
She is still unable to be with the rest of the flock in main grassy free ranging area as the top hens immediately go for her.
One day at a time.
So thank you again for the help! It was indispensable and I hope I can pay it forward one day.
Oh, and she still stinks but I do think its dirt bath related as she has no access to dirt baths at the moment.
Here she is this morning. She somehow seems to manage directly rub her wound in dirt and nothing else...but since the sock seemed to really aggravate the other hens (to violence, they really hate that pattern maybe) I've left it off. The dirt hasn't slowed down the healing at all.
View attachment 2406244

Pleased to read she's pulling through and you haven't gone under due to stress.