Chicken has swollen neck and open wound-Please Help!!

[mpfarrell4]

Hello everyone,
I have a 2 month old freedom ranger hen whom we were raising to eat but she was attacked one night 3 weeks ago in her chicken tractor. We found her with her neck torn open and decided to put her in isolation and she recovered okay. Her wounds healed up but her neck was still swollen and red. We've become pretty close to her, we take her for walks and she loves hanging out with us. Last week she scratched open her neck again and was covered in blood. I decided to clean her wounds with a antiseptic solution and put antibacterial ointment on the wounds and wrapped them in a bandaged. That seemed to work and the wounds once again healed but her neck was still swollen. During these past weeks she's been eating and drinking normally and is active and alert. She is clearly bothered by her neck because she is constantly itching it.

Now, as of this evening her neck has swollen up a lot and is really red. It's also very hot to the touch.

I don't know what to do or how to help her. She's the sweetest chicken and it's breaking my heart to see her so sick. Please Help!!!!!!!

 

[viktoriacl]

Sounds like she has an infection in there. Can you post pictures? You might have to open it up to allow it to drain. Can you get some antibiotics into her as well?

 

[nuchickontheblock]

Quote:
x2 You could hot pack the swollen area a few times a day to see if that will help the swelling, but there is probably a deep infection that will require antibiotic treatment.