Chicken is missing a chunk

[stephanieperun]

I went out to my coup today after i got home from my golf match (i’m still in highschool) and i went to go spend time with my chickens. She sat on my lap for a good 20 minutes and let me pet her and sing to her and was being so good. It wasn’t until she got up to get some water that i noticed a chunk of her was missing . I examined the wound a bit and it seems like something got in the cage within the last day or two ago. Their food was all over the place and their waterer is leaking so i’m assuming my rooster put up a good fight. None of my other chickens were harmed at all and are doing okay. This chicken wasn’t acting like anything was wrong and didn’t seem in pain. I made a saline solution and sprinkled it over her wound and then dried it. There was no blood coming off and she didn’t wince when i cleaned it. Tomorrow morning i’m going to cut up a t-shirt and wrap her with it and some gauze. Please give me suggestions on what else would help!! The wound is right under her wing and is covered by it.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Oh dear! Not what anyone wants to come home to.

So......she should be able to recover.....in time.

Keep it clean and slather it with Neosporin WITHOUT PAINKILLER.
I know you rinsed with saline but a cleaning with betadine will kill germs and I highly recommend getting a bottle. Most stores with a pharmacy should carry it.
It runs about $15 a bottle here. It will last a really long time so is definitely worth it.
I would wet a gauze pad with saline, wring it out and then saturate it with the betadine. Holding it on the wound a short while then wring it out so the fluid runs onto/into the wound.
Then slather with Neosporin and apply a fresh gauze pad. It may prove difficult to keep a bandage on it. Don't panic if you cannot get one to stay on.

DO SEPARATE HER while she heals. That red of a wound will draw unwanted attention.

Also look for where the nasty critter got in and mend that breach.

That you never have to deal with this kind of injury in the future.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I think @azygous is our expert on injuries, but @aart is always very helpful, as are @WVduckchick and @Eggcessive . Let's see what they would advise.

 

[azygous]

It's good you noticed the wound. With proper wound care, which isn't hard, she will grow in new tissue and maybe even feathers.

What you need to do is flush the wound daily with the saline. This is to wash off any bacteria that accumulates each day. Then step two is to coat it with an antibiotic ointment like original Neosporin. This is to keep the wound moist and to discourage bacteria.

The single most important thing in wound care is keeping it moist. As long as you keep it covered with Neosporin, no need to try to bandage it. The moistness will encourage new tissue growth at a much faster clip than if the wound is allowed to dry up. And as long as you have the ointment covering the wound, don't worry if she takes a dirt bath and gets it all full of dirt. Just do the daily saline flush and she'll do fine.

With the wound under the wing, it may not be visible to the other chickens. She can stay with them as long as they aren't molesting her wound. I've always left a wounded chicken with the flock as they do so much better than when isolated, but watch that the wound isn't being pecked.

You will notice the new growth around the outer edges of the wound. It will look swollen, but it's called granulation and the tissue forms from the outside and grows in toward the center. Keep the wound moist until the new tissue completely meets in the middle and you're finished! It may take from four to six weeks.

 

[glassdragonfly]

Sorry for your hen! My stepson had a hen with a wound like that,An over aggressive rooster was the cause. Do you have any roosters? It looks like your hen has bald spots on her wigs from a rooster. A rooster saddle is great for the hens feathers. I cleaned up the hen,kept her in a cage for a few days and made her a saddle that came down on her sides farther to keep it covered. She healed up just fine. Please watch for flystrike.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Oh dear! Not what anyone wants to come home to.

So......she should be able to recover.....in time.

Keep it clean and slather it with Neosporin WITHOUT PAINKILLER.
I know you rinsed with saline but a cleaning with betadine will kill germs and I highly recommend getting a bottle. Most stores with a pharmacy should carry it.
It runs about $15 a bottle here. It will last a really long time so is definitely worth it.
I would wet a gauze pad with saline, wring it out and then saturate it with the betadine. Holding it on the wound a short while then wring it out so the fluid runs onto/into the wound.
Then slather with Neosporin and apply a fresh gauze pad. It may prove difficult to keep a bandage on it. Don't panic if you cannot get one to stay on.

DO SEPARATE HER while she heals. That red of a wound will draw unwanted attention.

Also look for where the nasty critter got in and mend that breach.

That you never have to deal with this kind of injury in the future.

@stephanieperun The only thing I would ask is how much space do you have?
What does your rooster's spurs look like?
In the photo, your hen has worn places on the top of her wings, I would assume from being mounted by the rooster. If he has long spurs, the wound under her wing may be from spurs (mounting) instead of a predator attack.
If the wound is from mounting/spurs, then separating the rooster may be needed so she can heal, since it will continue to open up if he's mating with her.

I examined the wound a bit and it seems like something got in the cage within the last day or two ago. Their food was all over the place and their waterer is leaking so i’m assuming my rooster put up a good fight.

 

[CindyinSD]

I was wondering about the rooster, too. The caps on the rooster’s spurs can be removed without hurting the rooster. They’ll grow back, so it has to be done periodically. If I could remember where I saw that I’d give you a link, but you can search “rooster spur removal” or similar.

If you don’t sew, @OneMountainAcres makes saddles for all sizes. I got some—they’re very nice. I do sew, but it’s nice not to have to do it.

 

[aart]

You are in good hands with the wound advice.

I went out to my coup today after i got home from my golf match (i’m still in highschool)

I played golf in HS too, 45 years ago.

 

[Eggcessive]

I also believe it might be damage from the rooster’s spurs, since this can be a common place for a wound like that. Follow wound care advice that has been given. Trim and file down any points on his spurs, and consider separating the rooster or the wounded hen in a wire dog crate with food and water. If you leave her with hens, place a TShirt over her wounds. If they peck at her, separate her until,her wound heals some.

 

[sorce]

If we freeranged chickens on golfcourses we could end world hunger.

Steal a ball for an egg stand-in and you will have gotten something useful from golf.

Sorry, Carlin Fan.

Sorce