Almost pecked to death...can she be saved? UPDATE

[binza1979]

I have a 10 week SLW that has been severely pecked in the head. She is a bloody mess. She is missing an eye and most of her head is raw skin. What should I do? Should I try to clean her up? I don't know how to cull and am not sure that I could handle using an ax. Any help/ suggestions would be appreciated!

I'll try to post pictures if I can get any.

 

[Ms.Frizzle]

I've had a chicken who lost an eye after a dog got a hold of her. She stayed blind, but over all lead a normal life. There were a few problems, in that she couldn't see when other more dominant hens approached from her blind-side, which resulted in her getting beat up a bit.

 

[Miss Lydia]

sounds really bad but you would be surprised how they can come back from something so horrific, you'll need to wash out her wounds real good with watered down betadine or warm salt water. then if there are feathers that might get stuck inside the wound trim them back so they won't. then use neosporin w/o pain relief or triple antibiotic and pack the wounds with it. put her in a quiet place all to herself with food and water. make sure to give her heat if she is in shock. keep an eye on the wounds so if there is any infection you can start her on some antibiotics. you could get terrimycin eye ointment at the feed store and use it in the eye. Please let us know how she is.

 

[binza1979]

Here are some pictures. Sorry that they are graphic.

These were the best pics I could get at short notice. I used my camera phone...fastest upload time.

What should I do to clean her up? Anything? Should I put any ointment on it?

She is moving around, but seems to be shaking her head a lot.

 

[lvchicken]

WAHHHHH!!!

poor chick!!!!

 

[ForgottenGlen]

Quote:
X2, Just fixed up my Millie by rinsing with saline, salt water and using qtips to clean the wound well, clipped back the feathers, and put a whole lot of triple antibiotic ointment on it. She wasn't missing an eye, but the skin on the top of her head was pulled back real bad. She's healing up real fast though. Make sure you isolate her until it heals.

 

[Ms.Frizzle]

Don't forget to dry her off once you bath her/her wound. Use a hair drier, moving it in a circular pattern. Don't hold it in one place because this damages feathers as well as it can burn the chicken. You don't want her to catch a cold as well!

You're going to want to keep her seperated from the other chickens until it heals up a bit. Do you know why they started pecking her?

 

[binza1979]

She did have some bumps on her head that they popped and they were draining a bit. The had been leaving that injuy alone...until today aparently. I'm just glad we found her before she was dead.

Thanks for the quick advice. I'll keep you posted...going to go clean her up a bit.

 

[Wisher1000]

First make her a warm quiet place to re hab inside. Next wrap her in a towel to keep her still and clean the wound as well as you can. Use an eyedropper, q-tips, clean towels, whatever you need to get the debris out and/or off. Put antibiotic ointment (no "-cain" of any type) on and in the wound as best you can. Then put her in the warm, quiet place and watch her for about 24 hours. She will most likely shake her head until she gets used to the eye being gone. Make sure she is eating and drinking by the end of that time and if not tempt her with scrambled eggs, gatoraid, sugar water, yogurt, mealworms, anything she will eat. if necessary, give her sips of sugar water, gatoraid, or just water to keep her hydrated until she adjusts. Often they will drink if you dip their beaks into the liquid but will usually swallow if you use an eyedropper to put a drop on the side of the beak. It may take that long (24hrs) or longer to get her to eat and drink on her own if she is in shock. Keep her inside until she heals. Watch for infection and have some antibiotics on hand in case you need to start them. She should be good and spoiled rotten by the time the sores are healed and you may have yourself a house chicken.

 

[Miss Lydia]

rule #1 never leave a chicken in with the flock if it has any kind of wound. and after a few days you might want to spray her with vetricyn or blue- kote to help with the healing.