Chicken Head Injury

[HootWhite]

When putting up my chickens tonight I was missing a pullet (17 weeks old) and found her tangled in the poultry netting by her leg. The older hens must have laid into her head and has cause bleeding from pecking her head.

I have cleaned and applied vetericyn and poultry cell to her water. Separated into her own space away from the flock. When in the garage she would not walk, I am assuming from shock.

Any suggestions or just provide time to heal before introducing back into the flock.

 

[Prince and Pavo]

I think time is going to be the best remedy.

A couple week ago, two of my bantam roosters were sparring. One of them had a couple wounds and was bleeding from the head and comb. Within a couple days it had scabbed over and he was acting just like normal, and he’s pretty much fully healed and recovered now.

 

[HootWhite]

Here is a picture, hoping she is up and moving tomorrow. Concerned she hurt her leg when she was tangled in the netting.

 

[Eggcessive]

Poor thing. Offer sugar water (1 tsp per 8 ounce cup) or electrolytes to treat her shock. Keep her in a calm, quiet, dim area. In the morning, offer chicken feed, perhaps some made wet with water and a bit of scrambled egg. Saline or Vetericyn is fine for the wound, and you can apply Neosporin when it is dry twice daily. Do her eyes look okay? Let us know how she is feeling in the morning. Has she been low in the pecking order, and do you have a rooster?

 

[Galaxy_rules]

Poor girl, you are doing the right things.
But I would wait until the wound heals fully ( a couple of weeks ) to put her back in the flock.
Good luck!

 

[StinkyAcres]

Any other wounds? Is your run electrified? Wondering if it was a predator instead. Raccoons go for the head and they can grab chickens through fencing.

 

[HootWhite]

Poor thing. Offer sugar water (1 tsp per 8 ounce cup) or electrolytes to treat her shock. Keep her in a calm, quiet, dim area. In the morning, offer chicken feed, perhaps some made wet with water and a bit of scrambled egg. Saline or Vetericyn is fine for the wound, and you can apply Neosporin when it is dry twice daily. Do her eyes look okay? Let us know how she is feeling in the morning. Has she been low in the pecking order, and do you have a rooster?

Two separate flocks. They were introduced 4 weeks ago, 11 Pullets and 2 year old hens - no rooster. Pullets had the main range (poultry netting 164 feet) while 2 adult hens had the old run. Did this for 2 weeks to get used to one another and then migrated together last two weeks to share the run and netting area.

Plenty of room and they sleep in separate coops. Two 5 gallon feeders and 5 gallon water station. There has been some pecking but nothing of this nature.

I found this pullet with her leg twisted twice in the netting. The area of her skull looks like pecks, eyes are good, it’s just the top of the head. If it was a coon she would have been butchered since she couldn’t move from the fence.

I am more concerned from her leg because she had to twist and roll to get her leg wrapped twice in this netting. Netting is not energized.

Here is some views of the coop and chicken yard set up. Green coop is the new coop the pullets roost and the plain wood coop is where the two hens sleep (buff orp and copper maran)

 

[StinkyAcres]

I found this pullet with her leg twisted twice in the netting. The area of her skull looks like pecks, eyes are good, it’s just the top of the head. If it was a coon she would have been butchered since she couldn’t move from the fence.

You're probably right.

 

[HootWhite]

You're probably right.

My neighbors had a coonassacre about 5 months ago and they don’t go lightly. My biggest threat in my coop area is a Cooper’s Hawk, Redtail Hawk, Turkey Vultures, and owls.

 

[HootWhite]

**Update**

Pullet seems comfortable. Cleaned with vetericyn this morning. Still not walking, the leg that was wrapped in the netting seems to be injured. Hen is curling her toes on that foot. When touching she will grip my finger but will not walk.