Need 1st Aid Help...3 month Polish hen foot/leg eaten off last night by predator

[jmrozic]

My 3 month Polish hen evidently got attacked by a predator last night and was able to bite off his foot and lower leg. She also has some wing damage, but I'm not worried about that. I found her this morning in her A-Frame house inside my larger chicken pen. She is alive and alert! But I noticed she was sitting on the ground and was eating the food around her that I threw to her.

***See pic. She has a lot of mud/dirt around the wound and it's pretty raw but not bleeding. What is the best 1st Aid to give her? Do I clean off all of the mud? What else? I brought her inside the house where I can monitor her now
Thanks in advance for everyone's advice!

 

[mcjessen]

Yikes! That's nasty. I'm sorry that happened. I honestly don't know how to help with that kind of wound. Maybe someone else will have more insight. But, I would try to clean it up as much as possible. I'm not sure how a chicken can function with only one leg but I sure hope she pulls through for you. Good luck and hopefully someone with more "medical" knowledge will offer insight soon.

 

[Eggcessive]

Wash the area off best you can with warm water or saline with hibiclens, weak betadine, or just plain dishwahing liquid if that's all you have. Then put some plain neosporin ointment on it. Re-apply each day. Dry her best you can, and keep her warm, dry, and clean. Feed her some scrambles chopped eggs, plain yogurt if you have it, and make sure she is drinking. You should be able to tell in 2-3 days if it is getting infected or not. When you put her back out with the others spray it with Blu-kote and antiseptic that makes it blue so they won't peck her red skin. Good luck.

 

[jmrozic]

I really, REALLY appreciate the advice. I'll try it out now .

 

[Eggcessive]

When things settle down please go out and find how the predator got inside your coop. Sounds like there is a way inside for your other chickens to be harmed. Rats, oppossums, raccoons, skunks, weasels, foxes, and others will dig and get in tiny holes. 1/2 hardware cloth fencing is your friend. Welcome to BYC.

 

[jmrozic]

Strange thing is that I've already inspected the large coop (40x40') and the A-frame and there is no sign of struggles. We did hear a little peeping and bocking last night @ 2am but it didn't seem like a cry for help. Just sounded normal for a full moon night, very bright outside. Guess we better jump out of bed next time and check it out. Thank you for your concern.

 

[JoePa]

Wow - that's a bad wound - I'd say that it might in order to cull this chicken - if it was only the foot that might be different - but it looks like the leg is just about gone - no sense in letting it suffer - after all - all chickens gotta die sometime - some earlier than others - sorry - but I'd make sure I found out how this happened otherwise there may be others -

 

[seminolewind]

I was thinking that too. It may be a choice that you should think about.

 

[jmrozic]

Appreciate everyone's input. She is acting quite fine this morning and doesn't seem to be in pain, but......what can I do with a one leg hen? Culling might be the choice for this one. So sad, she's super cute!

 

[seminolewind]

I've heard of one legged hens. Some get along fine. But not all.
I hate it when they're cute! Or just because they're chickens!