chicken is bleeding .. should i cull?

[lyndsey teter]

last night I put the chickens to bed and noticed that one hen was asleep in the nesting box. i thought little of it.

the next morning, when all the other chickens ran eagerly out of the hen house, she stayed there. i investigated, and i noticed some blood on her breast and behind her wing. it is not dried. this afternoon, she is breathing very heavy and isn't interested in eating or drinking. i'm not sure exactly where she is injured or how.

we're hoping that some jerk didn't shoot her or something.

we've got her isolated in a pen with fresh bedding, food and water.

is there anything else we should be doing for her to see if she recovers? i'm worried that messing with her too much or rubbing something on her wounds would increase her stress right now.

she looks a little better last i checked ... she's standing on her own, but i'm really worried about the breathing, which seems to have gotten worse.

she even laid an egg this morning, god bless her little heart. she is our best layer.

how long should we wait before we cull her?

should we give her a day or two time or are we just delaying the inevitable and allowing more suffering?

 

[crtrlovr]

Make sure she is warm enough; she doesn't need the added stress of trying to stay warm with fighting whatever injury has happened to her. If you have some antibiotic cream WITHOUT pain killer (any word in the ingredient list that ends in "caine"), put that on any open wounds. Hopefully some of the more experienced chicken veterans on here can help you. Is there a blood trail anywhere? Are any of the other chickens hurt? Do you have barbed wire or any type of protruding nails/wire on which she could have cut herself? Any possibility a small predator (rat, feral cat, opossum, etc. could have gotten hold of her? I would give her some more time and see what happens. Give her every opportunity to make a recovery.

 

[Cetawin]

Well if she is injured she will breath heavily and certainly differently.

You need to check the injuries and see how bad they are, clean the wounds with betadine or sterile saline and get some anitbiotic ointment on them..just make sure it does not have a pain reliever in it. Anything with "caine" in its name can be fatal to them.

Access the wounds to determine the seriousness of the injuries. Chickens can survive some bad wounds so I would not think of culling her just yet.

They go into shock like any other animal but the wounds must be cleaned and dressed so she does not get an infection. Keep her hydrated and put electrolyes in her water. Make sure she is eating and drinking. You may have to force her to do so but it is necessary.

Sorry repeated stuff but crtrlovr were posting at the same time.

 

[illinichick]

i would give her another 24 hours, chickens can recover from some very serious injuries.

 

[FarmerDenise]

I agree with the advice that's already been given.
How large is the pen you have her in? I like keeping them in a smallish space that is warm, safe and quiet. A laundry basket works well. It can be covered with a towel or small blanket, to provide the injured chicken with additional security and warmth. I put towels or t-shirts on the bottom.

I use Rescue Remedy to help my chickens and other pets with shock.
Give her a few days. I've had chickens heal from the most amazing injuries.

 

[birdlover]

Do your chickens free range? It sounds like some critter tried to grab her. Have you seen any predators around. Could have been a hawk too. Yes, give her love and time. Unless she gets an infection, she'll most likely recover. You need to see how bad it is though and treat like the posters above said.