Help? Over tread hen, graphic pics, you've been warned! (update 1/1/11

[KDbeads]

Hen info:
Neo
Silkie EE mix
about a year old
Other than the injury she is fine, poo a little watery but normal.

A 7 month old silkie roo did this! He repeatedly mounts her, she is the only one he mounts at all out of 10, so she's been looking a bit bare. I checked her last night and decided to make a saddle and wing protector for her since he's starting to pull out wing feathers. Locked up the roo in his box as we normally do. Went out this morning with the first rendition of the saddle to see if it fit and the roo had escaped his box. Neo came flying over and hid behind me like normal when he's out, he came barreling after her and met my shoe but when I looked down at her I almost killed me a roo!

These were taken before I cleaned and doctored:

This is my hubby's baby, I don't want him coming home for Christmas just to find out she's gone without me trying my best to help fix her.

So far I have the whole area cleaned off, I've used a rinse of saline solution, and packed with antibiotic. Her back is mostly just heavy bruising with an open wound on one side of her tail about an inch or so long but not terribly deep. She is now in the infirmary crate in the living room. She has her choice of scrambled or boiled eggs, a little cat food and chick feed. I'm working on hunting down the avian liquid vitamins (I packed them for this upcoming move and can't figure out where they got put). She's a little dazed but she seems really happy to be inside away from Junior or maybe just inside, she loves it in here. She's eating a little, eying the cats and moving around. I have her on paper towels right now since she's still wet from the cleaning.

I'm thinking I may need to give her some antibiotics. I have Tylan 50 injectable and 250 mg capsules amoxycilin on hand. Can I use either of these for this type of injury? Or is there something else I can get? Feed stores aren't open until tomorrow so if I can't use what I have on hand it'll have to wait until tomorrow morning.

Thanks for any help.

 

[sharol]

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. I'm thinking that roo needs a lesson or removal. Do you have to keep him if he is tormenting your hen? She shouldn't have to live in fear.

 

[Weewanona]

I second the 'looks like you've done what you can' until the feedstore opens.

My comment is geared toward that Roo. Chicken stew sounds REALLY good for dinner tonight!

 

[KDbeads]

Considering he is young and working through the 'randy teen' issues we were hoping this would resolve. We've seen this behavior many times before (though not to this extent) and I'm sure we will see it again.
He is now in the bad chicken confinement pen until I can find a place for him or he ends up in the neighbor's stew pot. He was a really nice breed quality silkie, we really wanted to keep him.

 

[kmclay]

Peroxide? Neosporin? I've also got a rooster that I think is heading for the stew pot, but it's because he's attacking my much loved little Banty roo and has ostracized him from "the girls." I don't THINK so!

 

[Lifesong Farm]

Quote:
No peroxide. The saline solution is better. Peoxide can damge the tissue.

Do you have a mean hen that would stand up to him? If you do let her give him a dose of chicken etiquette. I know my hen is givint it to my new roos. Now they give her all the space she wants.

 

[KDbeads]

Neosporin is triple antibiotic salve. Already have it on there. Was wanting to know any internal antibiotics that should be used?

And, this roo was in with my bossy girls. My GLW, BSL and BA make sure he's nice to them. He was good to everyone but Neo, would have been a good roo to keep around had he not over mated her.

 

[Muggsmagee]

I don't feel an oral antibiotic is necessary. Keep the wounds clean. Keep those vitamins, eggs and treats coming. You could use BLU-KOTE (find it at TSC) and spray her back. I would avoid the deeper tissue damage, though. A topical ointment (neosporin WITHOUT pain relief) I would feel would be good for her more severe wounds. Keep that roo separated. OR, what about keeping him with the other hens while this one heals in her own cage? My thinking is he might find interest in a few girls and when your damaged one returns to the flock, she will find reprieve in equal attention from that roo.

 

[lauriej57]

I would keep her separated from the other hens, they will peck at the blood. I have a hen who my very nice roo is over working, her neck is bare, but just one area that is bleeding, looks more like a peck mark at this point. I brought her in, cleaned her up and we put blue kote on it. That was two days ago, she's doing fine, no new blood.

Chickens will always peck at blood, so I would keep a very close eye on her.

 

[KDbeads]

Quote:
Yes she is separated and will remain so until no scabbing is left. In fact she's probably moving back into the house until long after she heals up or we can actually find a place to live and move and I can build a pen just for her, Elvis, Seven and Nine (these are my misfits

). She's the definition of a house chicken, spoiled rotten by hubby. Time to make chicken diapers, well once this heals.

So no internal meds for now. I did blue cote her back as a precaution, so I should add that to the list of things done so far.

She's been running around the kitchen today, at least since most of the wound dried a bit anyway and trying to cuddle with the cats.
I put the roo that had been separated from them (due to the roos fighting) back in when I took out Junior. The big girls decided they didn't like Elvis so he's in the garage in his own infirmary crate with his neck feathers missing and bleeding. I was hoping he had matured enough to handle them, guess not.
Can't win for loosing