Chicken attacked by our goose help!

[Jleve13]

We have a roughly year old New Hampshire red hen that was attacked by your goose last night while we were gone. Our son brought her inside and put her in an isolated crate with food, water, and straw bedding. She's not moving around much I'd imagine from shock but other wise seems ok besides her wound.

She was feather plucked for one, but upon further inspection has a bill sized hole in right under her neck feathers where her back starts. Can anyone tell me how I can help her with any kind of first aid. Unable to find a vet near me that will see her Do I wash it out with saline or something more like peroxide, pack in with Neosporin and let it do it's thing? Just keep an eye on her as it heals while keeping her separated?

 

[Pyxis]

Poor girl!

I would wash the wound off with saline, then apply neosporin to aid with healing and prevent infection. Keep her in until it's mostly healed since chickens will peck at wounds on others.

If she appears to be in a lot of pain, you can also put 5 five-grain tablets of aspirin in a gallon of water and offer that to her free choice.

Lastly, if it was indeed your goose who attacked her (did anyone witness that? It sounds like you weren't home when the attack happened; is there any chance a predator did it?) then of course the geese should be separated from the chickens. They are in breeding season right now and can be more territorial and aggressive than usual.

 

[Jleve13]

Thank you for your response!

I did a saline flush, patted dry, and then sprayed her wounds with vetericyn. She let me do it if I gave her a rub down first behind her ears. She's a sweet chicken thankfully. I'm sure she is in pain, but isn't really showing it. She is getting a redness to her eyes though.

It was definitely our goose. My son saw the whole thing. My wife and I were gone. Sexing geese has been hard so we knew we'd probably find out in the spring. We now know we have a male and female, and to keep the chickens separate. Do you think he will also attack our ducks? The ducks and geese house together.
QUOTE="Pyxis, post: 19734772, member: 130871"]Poor girl!

I would wash the wound off with saline, then apply neosporin to aid with healing and prevent infection. Keep her in until it's mostly healed since chickens will peck at wounds on others.

If she appears to be in a lot of pain, you can also put 5 five-grain tablets of aspirin in a gallon of water and offer that to her free choice.

Lastly, if it was indeed your goose who attacked her (did anyone witness that? It sounds like you weren't home when the attack happened; is there any chance a predator did it?) then of course the geese should be separated from the chickens. They are in breeding season right now and can be more territorial and aggressive than usual.[/QUOTE]