Emergency! Please help! Hawk attack left my girl severely injured

[aggielady]

I just came home to see that there were feathers all around my coop. Somehow a hawk had gotten in and killed one of my 2 month old Gold Stars and scalped one of my 3 month old Wyandottes. It literally flew out at me when I came up to the coop. The other three escaped to safety but Rosemary is severely injured.

The top of her head and the top of her neck scalped back to the "meat" and she must be in pain. She is still walking around and is jittery but I am new to chickens and have no way to know how to treat her.

PLEASE HELP me help Rosemary!!

 

[Eggcessive]

This just happened to my Polish hen today also, but it was a juvenile rooster instead of a hawk. Clean her scalp with weak betadine or Hibiclens and dry it. Apply Neopsorin ointment (plain) and leave it open. Try to give her a high protein meal--raw egg, yogurt, and oats or chick feed mixed. Then put her in a cage with food and water. If she is not eating/drinking she may be in shock. Apply the Neosprin daily and check for infection. After a week or so if it has healed, you can apply BluKote to color the scalp so it doesn't attract pecking. Put her back into the flock gradually. I would keep the cage inside the coop and run so she doesn't lose her pecking order status. Sorry it happened and good luck.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You may have some of these things.
Salt, Hydrogen Peroxide, Betadine, Campho-Phenique, triple-antibiotic like Neosporin. If not they are at your drugstore.
Flush with saline to clean any debris.
The new injury can be flushed with hydrogen peroxide or Betadine. After the first day, don't use the Hydrogen Peroxide as it will kill new cells.
Dab on some Campho-Phenique to ease the pain.
Fill the wound with a triple-antibiotic ointment. Repeat twice a day except for the saline.
Give a baby aspirin dissolved in water with an eye dropper.
An antibiotic injected for a few days isn't a bad idea.

 

[zipper011]

I would try and catch her and clean the wound with peroxide and put an antibiotic salve like Neosporin on it--as for the pain I haven't a clue --If it looks like it is getting infected maybe an oral antibiotic like DAURAMYCIN -10 -- available at your local feed store Hopefully others on here may have some ideals or-maybe you should try and contact a vet. --I have hawks in my area so I have to keep my chickens in a coop which I have completely covered with chicken wire and I keep a close eye out and try to scare them away---not allowed to harm them

 

[aggielady]

Thank you, thank you!!!

I am not sure if it is something she can pull through, but I certainly want to do whatever I can to help her and ease her pain. Has anyone ever treated a similar injury successfully? Can I get chicken-dose antibiotics at the feedstore? What do you recommend and in what dosage?

The other 2 chickens aren't bothering her at all but I will sequester her if they start to. Luckily the wound was very clean. Very little blood.

If she makes it, is there a chance her feathers will grow back or is that wishful thinking? It will get down to freezing tonight and I want her to be comfortable as possible this winter if she is able to heal.

 

[aggielady]

I'm so mad at myself. They usually stay in the coop and I rarely let them out without my dogs or myself back there to guard them, however its very cold and my boxers have no interest in being out in the cold and rain today. I guess I learned the hard way. They are on lockdown from now on.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You can't beat yourself up. Predators are a fact of life. Hawks are native, we and our chickens are the invasive species.
Dogs and cats are another issue, but I digress.
She will most likely heal completely.
I've treated lots of things like that.
I had a severe raccoon attack recently. Within a week, you couldn't tell one of the hens had any issues.
The other was much more severely injured but has made a 98% recovery. She still tilts her head to the side a little from the inner ear wound.

I use combi-pen injectable from a feed store for antibiotics. I think I got mine at Farm and Home or Tractor Supply.
It isn't the same as treating a bacterial infection the bird already has. You're just trying to knock down something from the bite wound that got into the system.

 

[aggielady]

Well, I must have caught that stupid hawk just as it happened because now the wound does have blood and is starting to swell.
I cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide and applied extra strong prescription neosporin to the open area.
I am going try most if not all of these fabulous ideas.
Luckily the remaining 2 girls are protecting her and not picking on her. I'll keep you posted.

Thank you for your comforting words. You are totally right, but my animals are my babies and I wish I hadn't been so lax. Lesson learned. Can you buy the combi-pen as a single or should I administer it regularly for a certain time? Where do you inject a chicken?

If you think of anything else, PLEASE share!! Thank you all so much!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It comes in a small bottle, lots of doses and isn't expensive. You can inject it in the breast - alternating breasts on subsequent days or subcutaneously. For this type thing I like in the breast the first day or two and then subcutaneously under the back skin. Subcutaneous acts slower.

Combi-pen is just 2 different types of penicillin in the same bottle.

 

[aggielady]

Thank you ChickenCanoe! I looked for the combi-pen at Tractor Supply with no luck

I will call around for it tomorrow and local feed stores. Do they get the full dosage or does it give dosing instructions for a chicken?

She appeared to be in pain which makes me so sad. I tried the baby aspirin suggestion and dissolved it in warm water- she gladly took it from the syringe

Small victories.
I tried feeding her egg but she wasn't interested at all, even when I warmed it up. She took deep hissy breaths after I messed with her but seems okay at rest. I'm hoping that baby aspirin will give her some relief.
Maybe if she makes it tonight she'll pull through...