Hawk Attack

[C0987]

***GRAPHIC PICTURES***
This afternoon I had a hawk attack one of my chickens. The hawk attempted to fly away with her but was unable to. After the hawk flew away the chicken was thankfully still alive and ran under a pine tree.

She is missing some feathers and has some scratches but the worst injury is on her back on the left side the hawk took out some pieces of her. She has a wound that is quite bloody. She is able to move but doesn't move much or very fast she is obviously in pain.

I have her in a tote with some straw bedding, chicken feed and water. She has eaten some food but I haven't seen her drink any water.

I am unsure of how to care for her injuries. I do not have the ability to take her to a vet.

Can I use Neosporin on her wounds? Do I cover her wounds? Do I give her a bath? Can I give her something for the pain?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

As much as I hate to say it I think you let her go. Those injuries look too substantial to tend to even with the care of a vet. I maybe wrong here but I think shes probably already mostly gone. I'm so sorry this happened to you and your baby.

 

[Tortoise]

I can't help at all just wanted to say I'm so very sorry. Poor thing.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Hoping someone with more experience treating wounds in chickens comes along, but can you trim the feathers around the wound, flush the wound with saline or very dilute betadine, keep her warm and immobile while you see how she does? It would be great if she would drink electrolytes. That almost looks like her vertebral column (backbone) but I can’t tell from the picture. It might be only muscle damage. If you are able to keep it from getting infected with wound cleaning and probably systemic antibiotics, then she might recover from muscle damage. I’ve seen some pictures of substantial soft tissue injuries on BYCs where the chicken recovered with time and treatment. So sorry about your girl - wishing both of you the best!

 

[Dona Worry]

OW.

First things first-- chocolate. Not for the chicken, for you.

Ok, VERY CAREFULLY trim the feathers around the wound. Enlist a second person if you can.
Next, make a simple sterile saline solution. I don't remember the exact proportions, but something like 1/4 cup salt to 8 or 10 cups water, then boil for one minute. Using a syringe, and a soft plastic cannula if you can get one, flush the wound with this water once it has cooled to room temperature.

That will give you the best idea of how deep it is, and clean it at the same time.
While your saline is cooling, set up a hospital. Your chicken is likely in shock, so keep her warm! Keep your hospital dark for at least 12 hours, and keep the bedding soft and clean. Syringe feed some electrolytes--just place a drop next to her beak, and let her decide to swallow. Mix up some mash with probiotics, liquid vitamins if you have them, and a bit of honey. Offer that in a dish, or use a syringe.

I grew up doctoring feral chickens on a dairy farm. You would be surprised at what a chicken will recover from. As long as this didn't penetrate the body cavity, your biggest issue will be keeping this clean, and preventing flystrike and/or cannibalism.
Good luck!

 

[Cheyenne97]

OW.

First things first-- chocolate. Not for the chicken, for you.

Ok, VERY CAREFULLY trim the feathers around the wound. Enlist a second person if you can.
Next, make a simple sterile saline solution. I don't remember the exact proportions, but something like 1/4 cup salt to 8 or 10 cups water, then boil for one minute. Using a syringe, and a soft plastic cannula if you can get one, flush the wound with this water once it has cooled to room temperature.

That will give you the best idea of how deep it is, and clean it at the same time.
While your saline is cooling, set up a hospital. Your chicken is likely in shock, so keep her warm! Keep your hospital dark for at least 12 hours, and keep the bedding soft and clean. Syringe feed some electrolytes--just place a drop next to her beak, and let her decide to swallow. Mix up some mash with probiotics, liquid vitamins if you have them, and a bit of honey. Offer that in a dish, or use a syringe.

I grew up doctoring feral chickens on a dairy farm. You would be surprised at what a chicken will recover from. As long as this didn't penetrate the body cavity, your biggest issue will be keeping this clean, and preventing flystrike and/or cannibalism.
Good luck!

I second this. The wound looks deep but I don’t think it is life threatening.

 

[Dona Worry]

Also, while you CAN dilute aspirin into water for pain, you SHOULDN'T. Aspirin is a blood thinner, and also, as bad as it sounds, you actually want the chicken to feel the pain so she moves around less and hopefully heals faster.
Starting her on antibiotics ASAP isn't a bad idea--I think elsewhere it was posted 1/4 cc penicillin from the smallest gauge needle you can find.
Eta for something like a sprain I would absolutely do aspirin water, but not a bloody wound like this, no way.

 

[Tortoise]

OW.

First things first-- chocolate. Not for the chicken, for you.

Ok, VERY CAREFULLY trim the feathers around the wound. Enlist a second person if you can.
Next, make a simple sterile saline solution. I don't remember the exact proportions, but something like 1/4 cup salt to 8 or 10 cups water, then boil for one minute. Using a syringe, and a soft plastic cannula if you can get one, flush the wound with this water once it has cooled to room temperature.

That will give you the best idea of how deep it is, and clean it at the same time.
While your saline is cooling, set up a hospital. Your chicken is likely in shock, so keep her warm! Keep your hospital dark for at least 12 hours, and keep the bedding soft and clean. Syringe feed some electrolytes--just place a drop next to her beak, and let her decide to swallow. Mix up some mash with probiotics, liquid vitamins if you have them, and a bit of honey. Offer that in a dish, or use a syringe.

I grew up doctoring feral chickens on a dairy farm. You would be surprised at what a chicken will recover from. As long as this didn't penetrate the body cavity, your biggest issue will be keeping this clean, and preventing flystrike and/or cannibalism.
Good luck!

How about honey for a wound cover and to help it heal? It's not regular honey like we buy at the grocery I don't think.
Here is some info on the type of honey in this link https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/manuka-honey-uses-benefits
(The healing property of honey is due to the fact that it offers antibacterial activity, maintains a moist wound condition, and its high viscosity helps to provide a protective barrier to prevent infection. Its immunomodulatory property is relevant to wound repair too.)

 

[Dona Worry]

How about honey for a wound cover and to help it heal? It's not regular honey like we buy at the grocery I don't think.
Here is some info on the type of honey in this link https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/manuka-honey-uses-benefits
(The healing property of honey is due to the fact that it offers antibacterial activity, maintains a moist wound condition, and its high viscosity helps to provide a protective barrier to prevent infection. Its immunomodulatory property is relevant to wound repair too.)

I've never tried it, and I'm not sure a wound this severe and deep is the place to start experimenting.
Also, if it was me, I'd be flushing that daily to prevent fly strike.

 

[MissChick@dee]

I had something similar. This is Judy now 7 months later. Healing still as you can see from the deep blue color of her healed wound. Hard to tell but that’s her side-under her wing.
I first cleared a area around the wound pulling feathers directly around the area then trimming those feathers around that area with scissors . You’ll need to keep it clean and feathers keep too much dirt.. gunk etc.
I washed mine with betadine. Let it run over it so it flushes clean. No puddles left in tissue.
Be aware the stress alone could push her over the edge. Keep her in a quiet warm place.
Fluids are extremely important. If she drinks wonderful! If not then to syringe feed her water you MUST be careful not to choak her. I used a hooked- nose syringe which was great. Remember it’s always to the SIDE and under the edge of her toung.
Adding save a chick as a water supplement would be awesome to use.
Have you or are you willing to put a stich or two into her?
It’s a process...get it clean. Get fluids in her. Keep her calm and if she makes it through the night we can move on to antibiotics and
Perhaps a stich and after care. That’s what I would do. Keep us posted. Best wishes
PS personally I would not put honey on just yet. If you can get the tissue to start grandulating together while it’s raw and fresh that’s what we would want. I’d hold off on the honey just now.