Hey OSUman,
I too have little experience with chickens, however I do have quite a bit of experience with ducks. As a matter of fact, our first female Muscovy that we had on the farm was attacked actually twice. Once by the dog (it was really harmless, he's big and dumb and doesn't realize he can hurt when he plays!), he merely grabbed some of the feather off of her tail... and the second by a fox. Although it was not her head that was caught, she did get ripped wide open in the chest area by the fox. We found her sittin gin the field and when I picked her up, her whole chest was literally hanging. We ended up cleaning the wound with iodine (as it doesn't sting or burn) and warm water. We actually put her in the bathtub. We then bandaged her with self-adhesive vet-wrap (for horses and pets) as it doesn't stick to the animal, only to itself, and gauze. This wound was quite severe. I eventually started packing the wound with unpasturized, raw honey. It sounds gross but it seems to have some kind of "magical powers" as it mends the flesh back together.
In your case, I would put her in the tub (or in a small pool with warm water) and use some kind of cleaning solution. Bear in mind that soap may sting, and that you will have to keep it out of your duckies eyes. You can also use a Q-Tip to apply the iodine. There is actually iodine soap that you can get from your local feed store. It's a little more frothy than regualr iodine.
Anyhow, let her bath in warm water. He will likely flip his head around in the water, just make sure the water stays reatively clean, as the tend to poop in it a lot. They also need to clear their nostrils quite often so that they can swallow their food without choking. You will need to let him do this at least once every couple days to keep the passages clear of food, feathers, dirt, etc. Once he's done bathing and the wound looks clean, you should apply some kind of medicated ointment. The one I use and have had great luck with is called Hibitane. I don't know what kind of ointments they sell in different countries but in Canada, it comes in a white tube that resembles a toothpaste tube, with a yellow and blue label. I would put this on the wound for several days, at least 3 times a day to make sure that no infection starts. After about 2 days, put a small amount of raw, unpasturized honey into the wound, it will help to heal it.
While he is recovering, try to keep him indoors, in a warm, small, enclosed environment. I would use something like shavings for bedding, as straw can be very scratchy. Keep in mind however, with shavings there is normally some dust. So make sure the wound stays as clean as possible. Make sure he has access to lots of fresh water and his regular food, and also try feeding him other foods such as lettuce...bread also seems to perk them up quite a bit. Mine seem to love canteloupe and other fruits as well. Make sure that he is eating and drinking and pooping regularily.
I hope this helps. Keep us posted!
If you have any other questions, please e-mail me!
Cheers
Allie
