GIANT CUT ON HEN! HELP!!

[HannahL]

Hi all, so we recently introduced a rooster into my flock. He’s super sweet, very cuddly, all around great roo. However, we’ve noticed that he’s taken a liking to our 2 year old Buff Brahma hen, Paisley. She was recently treated for lead poisoning (her lead levels are normal now) and had stopped laying eggs but we noticed that she was lethargic again and was actively avoiding our roo. Upon further inspection, we found this massive laceration on her back. She had an almost identical wound on the other side, though it looks a bit fresher. We think it may have been caused by the roosters spurs when mating. We’re going to file his spurs and nails and get her a saddle to minimize any damage. We’re taking her to the vet first thing tomorrow to get looked at. She’s still eating and drinking but is lethargic. Do you guys think she’ll make it? I’m a bit of a worry wort when it comes to my hens so I wanted to hop on here and get everyone’s opinions. You can’t see it in the picture very well, but there is some greenish puss deeper into the wound and it smells absolutely foul. It doesn’t seem to be too painful for her as she doesn’t mind me poking around at it and I’ve seen her grooming herself in the same area. Do you think she can come back from this injury? And what would you suggest to prevent this from happening again? He’s great with the other hens. I checked them over and none of them have any injuries, besides some minor feather ruffling/a callous on one. Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to

 

[azygous]

Yes, she can probably heal, however, not without an oral antibiotic and aggressive debriding of the wound. Taking her to a vet is a splendid and wise decision.

If the vet doesn't do both, you've wasted your money on them.

How about posting a pic of the rooster and his spurs? We might have recommendations on how you could address the spur modification.

 

[HannahL]

Hi all, so we brought her to the vet and they said that there were 4 puncture wounds, three of which were deeper and nastier. Appetantly the worst one (pictured in my original thread post) was 1.5 inches deep so she said that it most likely was not the rooster, but rather a predator due to the amount of damage. They’re gonna debride the wound and clean her up, but she said it would take about a month or so of healing while staying strictly indoors to prevent the wound from getting dirty, but that overall she’s got a fair prognosis. I’m still planning on sanding the roosters’ spurs just in case, but we’re perplexed as it what it could have been. The vet said it probably wasn’t a hawk due to the type of claw marks, but probably something like a mink, weasel, Fisher cat, or raccoon. Do any of you have any ideas as to what it could have been? Our chickens aren’t free range so they are protected aerially and all of the other chickens are totally fine. If something got into the pen or coop, wouldn’t there be signs of injury on the other hens, or at least the rooster? Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

 

[azygous]

Trying to identify a predator from a wound is a futile endeavor. Given that your chickens are in a secure pen, I would ignore the guessing of the vet as to the identity of the predator and go with the most obvious - the rooster.

Roosters can cause some pretty severe damage, sometimes killing the hen. This can happen when a hen is being uncooperative during mating. I've seen a hen of mine with extensive wounds from attempted mating under these conditions.

I have two roos. The older one, not the one that injured the hen, had spurs four inches long and they were curving back toward his shanks. I used the hot potato method of loosening the spurs and they twisted off easily. That was several months ago, and now his spurs are a harmless one inch long. I'm getting ready to do the younger roo as soon as I get a round-to-it. This is what I suggest you do with your rooster. There are hundreds of videos on You Tube.

 

[HannahL]

Trying to identify a predator from a wound is a futile endeavor. Given that your chickens are in a secure pen, I would ignore the guessing of the vet as to the identity of the predator and go with the most obvious - the rooster.

Roosters can cause some pretty severe damage, sometimes killing the hen. This can happen when a hen is being uncooperative during mating. I've seen a hen of mine with extensive wounds from attempted mating under these conditions.

I have two roos. The older one, not the one that injured the hen, had spurs four inches long and they were curving back toward his shanks. I used the hot potato method of loosening the spurs and they twisted off easily. That was several months ago, and now his spurs are a harmless one inch long. I'm getting ready to do the younger roo as soon as I get a round-to-it. This is what I suggest you do with your rooster. There are hundreds of videos on You Tube.

Okay, I feel like that makes the most sense as well, especially considering the fact that everyone else is fine. I’ll look up some videos online and sand down his spurs and nails a bit. I’m also planning on getting a saddle for her just to be extra cautious. Thanks so so much for your insight!