Bobcat got a hold of my hen.

[happy_in_the_hills]

She seems alert, but is breathing heavy. Runs well and wants to be in the coop with the rest of the flock. I have bacitracin and guaze on hand. Will that do or is there something else I need? There is a tractor supply in town.

 

[Bear1978]

Clean the wound with water and put an antibiotic on it. They may have something at TSC specifically for poultry wound care.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Oh my. It looks like the bobcat skinned her? She is probably in shock right now. That will HURT! She needs to be separated from the flock. Apply your Bacitracin and if you have non-stick guaze on hand, try to wrap her neck. You can keep it in place using vetwrap. She will hate it, but keeping the wound moist will help it heal so much faster. If after a day or two she's not learning to tolerate the bandage or if it's overwhelming for you, spraying with a saline solution (google how to mix your own) or vetericyn and applying more antibiotic cream as frequently as you can will help.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I had a baby with a similar injury (this was a few days after the injury)

Her with her little vet wrap bandage:

 

[Eggcessive]

Is her wound just reddened skin or it there any open wound? BluKote spray can be applied for minor wounds to disinfect and hide the red skin with blue coloring from gentian violet. If it is open or leaking, use the ointment, and keep her separated in a dog crate with food/water, but next to the others. She is a lucky girl. I would keep them in their run secured in case the bobcat returns. Did you see it?

Hopefully, she is just in shock and doesn’t have internal injuries.

 

[happy_in_the_hills]

Oh my. It looks like the bobcat skinned her? She is probably in shock right now. That will HURT! She needs to be separated from the flock. Apply your Bacitracin and if you have non-stick guaze on hand, try to wrap her neck. You can keep it in place using vetwrap. She will hate it, but keeping the wound moist will help it heal so much faster. If after a day or two she's not learning to tolerate the bandage or if it's overwhelming for you, spraying with a saline solution (google how to mix your own) or vetericyn and applying more antibiotic cream as frequently as you can will help.

She's not fond of the wrap, but is tolerating it. I sprayed the wound with wound spray from Rooster Booster, she didn't seem to mind it. Should I let the wound breathe for a little while each day? I know keeping a human wound bandaged 24/7 does not allow for proper healing. But I don't know about chickens.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

She's not fond of the wrap, but is tolerating it. I sprayed the wound with wound spray from Rooster Booster, she didn't seem to mind it. Should I let the wound breathe for a little while each day? I know keeping a human wound bandaged 24/7 does not allow for proper healing. But I don't know about chickens.

I left the wrap off of my chicken for maybe 20 minutes twice a day when I changed her bandage, but research shows wounds heal much faster when kept moist. The faster she heals the better for everyone! I'd give her some slightly higher protein treats and moisture-rich veggies or fruits like watermelon, cucumbers, or lettuce to ensure she's getting a nice nutritional boost along with her normal feed. For the next couple of days if you have any, put some poultry electrolytes in her water. Her body will be focusing a lot of energy regrowing itself.

 

[happy_in_the_hills]

Is her wound just reddened skin or it there any open wound? BluKote spray can be applied for minor wounds to disinfect and hide the red skin with blue coloring from gentian violet. If it is open or leaking, use the ointment, and keep her separated in a dog crate with food/water, but next to the others. She is a lucky girl. I would keep them in their run secured in case the bobcat returns. Did you see it?

Hopefully, she is just in shock and doesn’t have internal injuries.

The skin is actually torn away. I have a dog crate for tonight. I did see the bobcat. It had the hen in it's mouth, then she got away. It started to come back for the hen until it saw me, then it ran off. Should she spend the night in the dog crate in the coop or in the garage?

 

[21henmom]

The skin is actually torn away. I have a dog crate for tonight. I did see the bobcat. It had the hen in it's mouth, then she got away. It started to come back for the hen until it saw me, then it ran off. Should she spend the night in the dog crate in the coop or in the garage?

I would probably crate her in the garage as long as it's not too hot in there.

 

[WallyBirdie]

She seems alert, but is breathing heavy. Runs well and wants to be in the coop with the rest of the flock. I have bacitracin and guaze on hand. Will that do or is there something else I need? There is a tractor supply in town.

Goodness! I am so sorry this happened! Keep it clean and good luck! It's always terrible when a predator gets hold of a bird- and while it doesn't look good, keep in mind that animals can be resilient in ways we may not expect.
I thought for sure I'd lose one of my girls after a nasty attack but she pulled through!
Best wishes for you and your bird!