Chicken neck attack!! Help!

[Ravynscroft]

x2

X3

 

[Anabariful]

Sorry for the lack of updates everyone! I've had the flu for the past 3 days and have been out of commission. Hubs has been doing all the animal chores.

Gretchen is still with us and appears to be well. Her stools have returned to normal and she is still acting in high spirits. She hasn't laid an egg since but in all honesty, I think that egg was Mable's but I mistook it for Gretchen's. :| Her dark scabbing area continues to recede and the yellow area is also shrinking and returning to her normal skin color!!! it still feels firm though.. I don't think the deep recession is attaching together yet but I do believe the smaller areas are. I try not to bother her to much as this whole ordeal has traumatized her quite much. She is now terrified of my husband and I and will flat out run from us and throw a huge fit when handled due to all the medical treatment such as plucking, suturing, injections, irrigation, ointments, etc. it breaks my heart but I am happy she's still with us. She use to come up to us and was very social.

I know this may not be the popular answer but we have decided to stop pestering her and stop the treatments, for now, to allow her to mentally and physically recooperate. I'm still not 100% sure if she's going to make it (even though it has been a week since the attack) so if sadly, she does go down hill, I don't want her last days to be us handling her, injecting her, and traumatizing her any more than we already have as silly as that sounds. We do continue to monitor her and make sure her wound is progressing and is clean. We have returned her to be with Mable in their coop (again, probably not the popular vote) but they both seem much happier together than separated and allow her to free range together supervised to ensure they are not picking the wound.

Again, I can't thank you all enough who have prayed, cried, and share your knowledge with us! <3 I really do appreciate it and will continue to update as much as I can. We plan on keeping Gretchen for as long as we can and hopefully she continues to get better everyday.

 

[Anabariful]

I can try and take some pictures this afternoon of her wound.

 

[WVduckchick]

I definitely understand your position! You did great, she has survived this long, I think she has a good chance now. Did you leave a little t-shirt on her? I have a good feeling about little Gretchen. And if things go sour, at least her last days will be with her friend Mable.

 

[Colorado Chicka]

Wow I hope she will be ok. Give her some time. Looks like you have gotten some good advice. It might take awhile before she is back to her old self. I w I'll send good thoughts your way.
My Emma actually went out into the run on her own finally.

 

[Anabariful]

I definitely understand your position! You did great, she has survived this long, I think she has a good chance now. Did you leave a little t-shirt on her? I have a good feeling about little Gretchen. And if things go sour, at least her last days will be with her friend Mable.

No shirt on as she is almost solid black with some white speckling (mottled Orpington) and we have had 87/90 degree weather here this past week. She is doing well and I haven't seen her or Mable bother the wound. I'm hoping the fresh air will help it close and heal some.

 

[Patinas]

@Anabariful I have been following your epic journey with Gretchen and while we are all obviously wanting her to make a full recovery, if she doesn't make it, you are a true chicken hero!! I am so impressed with your heroic efforts to save her! In all honesty, I don't think I would have been able to do what you have!

I'm really hoping she pulls through this! She has certainly shown me how tough and resilient chickens can be (with human help!) to have survived this long with such a horrendous injury.

 

[Anabariful]

@Anabariful I have been following your epic journey with Gretchen and while we are all obviously wanting her to make a full recovery, if she doesn't make it, you are a true chicken hero!! I am so impressed with your heroic efforts to save her! In all honesty, I don't think I would have been able to do what you have!

I'm really hoping she pulls through this! She has certainly shown me how tough and resilient chickens can be (with human help!) to have survived this long with such a horrendous injury.

Thank you!!! <3

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

So good to hear from you---I think we all were wondering.
Sorry you have the flu!! This has been a very rough week for you.
I completely understand the approach you are taking now and, whatever happens, take comfort in knowing that you did your very best for Gretchen. You need to go with what your heart tells you and what will be something you can live with. It's not for others to decide. There is no "popular vote" here, IMHO.
If Gretchen doesn't pull through her last days will be ones of sunshine and being with her buddy Mable.
You have given that to her and that's a good and admirable thing.
You can be very proud of the love and care you have given her, however this turns out.

 

[Anabariful]

So good to hear from you---I think we all were wondering.
Sorry you have the flu!! This has been a very rough week for you.
I completely understand the approach you are taking now and, whatever happens, take comfort in knowing that you did your very best for Gretchen. You need to go with what your heart tells you and what will be something you can live with. It's not for others to decide. There is no "popular vote" here, IMHO.
If Gretchen doesn't pull through her last days will be ones of sunshine and being with her buddy Mable.
You have given that to her and that's a good and admirable thing.
You can be very proud of the love and care you have given her, however this turns out.

It has been a rough month, at the least, to say.. we had a "favorite" hen (a buff Orpington named Francesca) pass away due to Egg Yolk Peritonitis, literally a week before Gretchen got attacked.

We discovered her not on her perch one night when locking the coop, then the next morning she disappeared for a few hours, and by evening, I found her near our goose pen, drinking water with her wings completely drooping, gasping for breath, and her "undercarriage" was completely swollen with fluid. She died about 30 minutes after I found her and within 36 hours of us thinking she was acting strange by not roosting in her coop. We had Francesca for over a year and she was actually our first chicken. My heart is broken.

To top things off, I had only 2 out of 6 silkies hatch a few weeks ago (late on day 23, with assistance) so I kinda thought something was wrong.. both ended up passing a few hours after hatch.

Yesterday, we had 2 hatch! And 3 pass today. Hoping these 2 babies make it.