{Graphic} Does My Hen Need Stitches?!

[chicken7run]

This morning we found my hen, Daisy, knocked out cold and laying on her side. It turns out she has a giant gash around her tail area. She had on a knit sweater because she has a bald spot, and it appeared the sweater was torn off as well. She is smaller than the other chickens, her feathers were pulled out when she was attacked by a turkey and they have yet to grow back (if they ever will), so they bully her from time to time. But she's quite strong and loud, she also is my best layer.
But I don't believe they hurt her, perhaps the sweater for caught on something and she somehow hit a sharp edge...but well she now has a deep cut and I don't know if she needs stitches.

It does seem really bad, I think that's bone I can see too, so stitches are needed...right ?
I did soak her in a solution and cleaned the wound up. It's currently covered in neosporin and bandaged.
Any advice would be helpful! Thank you!

Edit: this morning she seems to be eating and moving around fine. She also poops fine, the cut was right next to her bum area, she slowly squats first, which I figure is to help with the pain. But I still wonder if stitches are needed, or if I keep the bandages bound securely, could that be enough ?

Edit: Also, is there anywhere I can get antibiotics other than the vet ?

 

[chickenychicken]

For the kind of wound she has stitches will probably be needed becuase that kind of wound would take quite a while to heal and shed need to be on antibiotics a lot of the time. I recommend bringing her to the vet so they can stitch it up and make sure the wound is clean from dirt, bacteria and other infection-making-things... They would probably give her a round of antibiotics to stop infection. Before you do so though electrolytes can help her get over the trama even if she seems ok. Good luck.

 

[theoldchick]

I agree. Won't hurt to have a veterinarian to examine the wound. Definitely keep her isolated from the others as they will continue to pick on her.

 

[casportpony]

This morning we found my hen, Daisy, knocked out cold and laying on her side. It turns out she has a giant gash around her tail area. She had on a knit sweater because she has a bald spot, and it appeared the sweater was torn off as well. She is smaller than the other chickens, her feathers were pulled out when she was attacked by a turkey and they have yet to grow back (if they ever will), so they bully her from time to time. But she's quite strong and loud, she also is my best layer.
But I don't believe they hurt her, perhaps the sweater for caught on something and she somehow hit a sharp edge...but well she now has a deep cut and I don't know if she needs stitches.

It does seem really bad, I think that's bone I can see too, so stitches are needed...right ?
I did soak her in a solution and cleaned the wound up. It's currently covered in neosporin and bandaged.
Any advice would be helpful! Thank you!

Edit: this morning she seems to be eating and moving around fine. She also poops fine, the cut was right next to her bum area, she slowly squats first, which I figure is to help with the pain. But I still wonder if stitches are needed, or if I keep the bandages bound securely, could that be enough ?

Welcome to BYC! Looks like you did an excellent job cleaning it! Does the wound extend into the abdominal cavity?

Kathy

 

[chicken7run]

Welcome to BYC! Looks like you did an excellent job cleaning it! Does the wound extend into the abdominal cavity?

Kathy

It doesn't extend all the way to her abdomen, it's mostly just her tail area. It's almost as if her entire tail is hanging by a little bit of skin.
I'll try to take better pictures soon.

But couldn't I just keep the bandages on tight (not too tight) and that will help with the healing instead of the stitches?

 

[chicken7run]

So today I removed her bandages, and cleaned up her wound and reapplied new ones. I'm happy to say it looks better, the wound seems to have sealed up a bit.
I've applied neosporin again and cleaned it up. I've also been feeding her eggs and electrolyte water. Hopefully she'll continue looking better


I do have a question about yogurt. I've read some people give their wounded chickens yogurt and that helps with the healing. Is it just straight up yogurt or do you thin it out in water?

Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

It only takes a small amount of plain yogurt to give probiotics. You can take a tablespoonfull and smear it on her feed or mix with some raw egg and bread crumbs. She may eat it plain, but not all chickens like the taste. Your electrolyte water may have probiotics in it--or your feed may contain them already. Purina and Nutrina feeds add probiotics to most of their feeds nowadays. You can rinse her wound with normal saline to keep it clean and not cause irritation. Vetericyn wound spray from feed and pet stores is another product that is excellent for wound care. Some products like betadine or hydrogen peroxide can prevent healing if used more than once or twice. Plain Neosporin ointment would be something else you could use on the wound.

 

[FarmerMac]

Last year I found one of my hens with a large gash on the side, This is what she looked like;




The cut was caused by the spurs of the rooster. It looked really bad so I thought I had to process her. I read here in BYC about curing cuts and wound using Epson Salts. I cleaned the wound with peroxide and mixed some Epson salts in water so I had a paste. I put the paste in the wound and put the hen in a separate cage in the coop. after a few day, it stared to heal and the wound closed completely without the need of stiches

 

[chicken7run]

Thanks so much for your post!
I am very glad for BYC, so many helpful people--and experiences!

Here's a little update on how it looks:


I just wanted to make sure this was okay.
I'm not 100% sure if everything is normal, but from other photos I've seen on BYC, I think it is.
The edges did bleed a bit when I removed the bandages, but that didn't last after I cleaned it up.

How often should I be removing the bandages and reapplying the neosporin/cleaning it up?

And she started picking at it/ the bandages! How do I stop her from doing this?

Thanks again for your help/feedback!

 

[Eggcessive]

Actually that looks good and clean. The green tinged skin is bruising. Apply Neosporin once or twice a day to keep it moist. A tiny TShirt or a piece of one tied around her may keep her from picking at it. I have made hen aprons out of a piece of fleece. Below is a link for these aprons: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...apers-harnesses-great-prices-check-them-out-2