Freak accident - wing injury

[From the North]

One of my red sex link pullets managed to impale her wing on the small hook that the feeder is hanging from inside the coop. I found her hanging by the hook when I got home from work today .

I immediately gave her water (not knowing how long she had been hanging there) and she drank quite a bit. I then put her in a stall in the barn with clean bedding, water and food (which she started eating as soon as it was provided).

The wing was hanging down and she didn't want to move around at all. I let her rest in there for an hour or two (checking in every so often).

We then squirted betadine on the wound and let her rest a bit more. She started perking up and walking around a little, but the wing was hanging and she would sometimes even step on it. Then she started really pecking at the top of the wound, pulling out and eating the bloody feathers.

I decided to wrap it up to prevent further damage, so I carefully put gauze on the top of the wound, put the wing up to her body, and wrapped her in vetwrap (under her good wing, so she can still use that one). I did not attempt to put gauze or anything on the underside of the wing other than the betadine we originally squirted in there.

She was then able to walk around a little more freely, peck in the bedding and she started talking a bit more.

Any thoughts, suggestions or just support would be appreciated. I feel awful that this happened but it was such a freak accident! I have also turned the hook around so that there is just a tiny space between the roof and the opening of the hook (it's just one of those little white plastic-coated screw in hooks!) so it's virtually impossible for this to happen again.

Thanks all!

 

[StephieSky]

Wow. It sounds like she's lucky to have you watching out for her!
Accidents happen all the time and short of putting every living thing in a protective bubble you just have to roll with the flow.

I think what you're doing sounds great! Her wing is bound to be suffering from muscle fatigue and it will take some time for the soreness to sort itself out.

 

[ten chicks]

One of my red sex link pullets managed to impale her wing on the small hook that the feeder is hanging from inside the coop. I found her hanging by the hook when I got home from work today .

I immediately gave her water (not knowing how long she had been hanging there) and she drank quite a bit. I then put her in a stall in the barn with clean bedding, water and food (which she started eating as soon as it was provided).

The wing was hanging down and she didn't want to move around at all. I let her rest in there for an hour or two (checking in every so often).

We then squirted betadine on the wound and let her rest a bit more. She started perking up and walking around a little, but the wing was hanging and she would sometimes even step on it. Then she started really pecking at the top of the wound, pulling out and eating the bloody feathers.

I decided to wrap it up to prevent further damage, so I carefully put gauze on the top of the wound, put the wing up to her body, and wrapped her in vetwrap (under her good wing, so she can still use that one). I did not attempt to put gauze or anything on the underside of the wing other than the betadine we originally squirted in there.

She was then able to walk around a little more freely, peck in the bedding and she started talking a bit more.

Any thoughts, suggestions or just support would be appreciated. I feel awful that this happened but it was such a freak accident! I have also turned the hook around so that there is just a tiny space between the roof and the opening of the hook (it's just one of those little white plastic-coated screw in hooks!) so it's virtually impossible for this to happen again.

Thanks all!

Sounds like you have everything under control,make sure you clean wound couple of times a day,watch for infection and flies. Make sure no chickens are pecking at her.

 

[From the North]

Thanks for the replies. I have her separated for now, in the barn. How long would you keep wrapping up the wing? And should I put something on the wounds other than betadine? I have blukote, wonderdust, swat... not sure if any/all of those are safe for use on chickens.

 

[From the North]

Also, I have her in the barn for today, but would it be ok to let her out in the yard tonight when I get home from work, with the other chickens?

 

[From the North]

Accidents happen all the time and short of putting every living thing in a protective bubble you just have to roll with the flow.

Ha, no kidding. But I have to say that one of my first thoughts upon finding her (after OMG!!!) was, "I thought only horses could find such strange ways to get hurt!".