Chick with skin ripped off neck

[Bawk2theFuture]

Hi there...recently introduced new chicks to my flock slowly by keeping my five week olds in a wire pen inside the run while my four month olds spend the day doing what they do in the run with the little guys in view. Then, after a couple weeks I put them in the coop in the middle of the night for the older gals and guys (6 pullets, 3 cockerels) to roost. At first everything was good. There was some pecking order established but nothing overly violent. They come out into the run in the morning and go into the coop at night for five days. Somewhere in there a predator got into the run during day three and carried off one of my chicks. (But I'm not going to talk too much about that because I'm pretty shook up and blaming myself)
I go out this morning to open the coop and two of my chicks have wedged themselves behind some mesh between the studs of the wall. The third is walking in circles with what looks like a lump on her neck. I picked her up to see that her skin was hanging off her neck and I'm staring right at muscle,bone,esophagus and jugular. At this point I'm flipping out and crying for my husband and ran inside with her.
Anyhow, we cut away the feathers and cleaned out the wound with warmed peroxide and put veterycin on it, pulled the skin flap back into place, bandaged her wound tight and med tape. She's resting in a sling made from a towel.
Any suggestions for how to feed and water her for a few days?
Any other suggestions to do anything else for her I haven't thought of?
Anything will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bawk2theFuture]

Anyone? How should I feed her? She won't eat

 

[Sally Sunshine]

awwww I am so sorry, all I can do is give you a few links to check out. I pray she makes it for you!

Force Feeding / Gavage / Tube Feeding http://beautyofbirds.com/tubefeeding.html
Hand-feeding Methods & Tools http://beautyofbirds.com/handfeedingmethods.html
Measuring Poultry Condition post #39343
How to Provide Emergency and Supportive Care* https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1048620/how-to-provide-emergency-and-supportive-care
*UPDATES https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1048620/how-to-provide-emergency-and-supportive-care-updated-1-3-2016
Step-by-Step Tube Feeding https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ube-feeding-guide-pictures-updated-12-28-2015
Dehydration https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1069598/dehydration
Fluid replacement therapy post #110275 post #110191 post #110182
First Aid https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1069413/first-aid-kit-updated-12-28-2015
Kathy necropsies https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1069296/lame-chicken-exam-necropsy-pictures-added
HELP My chicken has been scalped! post #28229 post #28239 post #28248 post #28253 post #28260 post #30106

 

[chickcrack]

Anyone? How should I feed her? She won't eat

Hi I'm sorry for you and your little one. I'm far from an expert in wound care but it sounds like you did a great job. Hopefully someone with more knowledge can advise there.
She may be in shock from the incident. Do you have a heat lamp or heating pad you could place with her for warmth? Just ensure she has room to move away from it if she's too warm. A nice quiet area so nothing startles her. Water is most important. Can you try dribbling a few drops on her beak to see if she will take it in? Sometimes they just need a taste to get them to realize they are thirsty. Or possibly try some very finely chopped watermelon, cantaloupe or cucumber...something high in water content. For food you could try some mashed scrambled eggs or chick food moistened to make into a porridge consistency but as I said water is far more important first. Let us know how she does and fingers crossed for you.

 

[Heidi65]

We had this happen to one of our girls when they were about 4 months old, (it was my dog that got her) the feather layer so to speak was still there so we took her to the vet and the vet sewed the feather flap back onto the skin. This happened to be our daughter's favorite so she would spend all of her time out with her hand feeding her and making sure she drank and she came through it with flying colors. She does little a bit funny now because that side of her neck doesn't really grow feathers but she is THE most spoiled rotten little thing you have ever seen. Our daughter comes outside and calls her name and she goes running to her.

Short of a vet, I don't know, but I'm so sorry.

 

[Bawk2theFuture]

UPDATE: I have been able to get her to eat and drink just fine. As a matter of fact shes back with her brother and sister and they've been very kind to her and let her bandages alone. She's healed up nicely and grown new skin! Chickens are amazing at healing fast!

 

[Bawk2theFuture]

Hi I'm sorry for you and your little one. I'm far from an expert in wound care but it sounds like you did a great job. Hopefully someone with more knowledge can advise there.
She may be in shock from the incident. Do you have a heat lamp or heating pad you could place with her for warmth? Just ensure she has room to move away from it if she's too warm. A nice quiet area so nothing startles her. Water is most important. Can you try dribbling a few drops on her beak to see if she will take it in? Sometimes they just need a taste to get them to realize they are thirsty. Or possibly try some very finely chopped watermelon, cantaloupe or cucumber...something high in water content. For food you could try some mashed scrambled eggs or chick food moistened to make into a porridge consistency but as I said water is far more important first. Let us know how she does and fingers crossed for you.

I had her isolated in a small brooder with heat lamp. After half the day was over she was taking food and water with little to no difficulty as sling as she didn't have to bend her neck too much. I raised the feeder and water to almost eye level and it was good for her. We were able to take the sling away by the end of the day, it kept her still enough to get rest and not further aggravate her injury.
Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[chickcrack]

Very happy to hear she's on the mend

 

[Chick Peas]

Hello, we saw this thread and wanted to post this,We let our chicks outside once it was warm we think somehow our chick,Benjie,Who is hated by the mother hen so we kept her with another olive egger and two ducks,got to the mother and her skin on her neck was ripped OFF. we even saw a tuff of her fluff on the mothers
beak.we cleaned it and put ointment on it. it is just below the ear so we can not put a band aid or any thing of the sort on her.have any ideas for her sake?

 

[Bawk2theFuture]

Hello, we saw this thread and wanted to post this,We let our chicks outside once it was warm we think somehow our chick,Benjie,Who is hated by the mother hen so we kept her with another olive egger and two ducks,got to the mother and her skin on her neck was ripped OFF. we even saw a tuff of her fluff on the mothers beak.we cleaned it and put ointment on it. it is just below the ear so we can not put a band aid or any thing of the sort on her.have any ideas for her sake?

HI. We just made sure that there was no fluff or feathers under the skin AT ALL..I cut it back with scissors. Then I flushed the wound with peroxide and then applied veterycin. Pulled the skin back into place and used gauze and then medical tape into place. This kept get from moving her head too much. I changed the gauze and tape everyday for a week. It healed but there was still a good amount of scar tissue and it took awhile for her feathers to grow back in. Sadly we lost that hen in a coop fire. She and her sister were my favorite.

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