Head nearly pecked off. Warning graphic

[Rhonda Floyd]

I was slowly integrating new chicks to older hens and rooster. I had them separated. My idiot roommate opened the door allowing them to mingle. This is what happened. I got home from work at 10 pm, went to check chickens and found her almost dead, massive blood loss and bloody flaps of skin in some places. Her skull had been completely scalped.

I brought her in, cleaned the wound, cut off the hanging skin flaps with a scalpel, cleaned it again with saline wash, applied a triple antibiotic to her whole head. I used colloidal silver in the deep wounds then added a layer of NFZ to her head.

As you can guess, she was in shock. I gave her probiotics mixed with poultry electrolytes water and a baby aspirin for pain ( all I had for pain relief).
The next day I hard flushed her wound and repeated the regiment. She had to be syringe fed water and food. I pureed spinach, probiotics, and egg yolks, and baby aspirin.

She is going to vet tomorrow. Today at 2 pm she actually started eating and drinking on her own. I am so proud of her strength.

I am fairly new to chickens, so to have this happen was devastating. Killing her was not an option.
Thank you for this website, it helped save my Amelia!
Rhonda

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I had something similar happen to my rescued Cornish cross pullet. I treated her by cleaning her wound with warm water and watered down hydrogen peroxide. After the wound was sterile I applied blue kote to the wound and kept her inside for 2 weeks. After about 2-4 more weeks the blue kote popped off like a scrap and there was healthy pink tissue underneath. It is very important to keep the wound clean and to check on it daily.

 

[sylviethecochin]

I was slowly integrating new chicks to older hens and rooster. I had them separated. My idiot roommate opened the door allowing them to mingle. This is what happened. I got home from work at 10 pm, went to check chickens and found her almost dead, massive blood loss and bloody flaps of skin in some places. Her skull had been completely scalped.

I brought her in, cleaned the wound, cut off the hanging skin flaps with a scalpel, cleaned it again with saline wash, applied a triple antibiotic to her whole head. I used colloidal silver in the deep wounds then added a layer of NFZ to her head.

As you can guess, she was in shock. I gave her probiotics mixed with poultry electrolytes water and a baby aspirin for pain ( all I had for pain relief).
The next day I hard flushed her wound and repeated the regiment. She had to be syringe fed water and food. I pureed spinach, probiotics, and egg yolks, and baby aspirin.

She is going to vet tomorrow. Today at 2 pm she actually started eating and drinking on her own. I am so proud of her strength.

I am fairly new to chickens, so to have this happen was devastating. Killing her was not an option.
Thank you for this website, it helped save my Amelia!
RhondaView attachment 1376648

Sounds like you know what you're doing!

 

[The Phantom]

I had that happen to a quail. I put antibiotics on it. Then it scabed I left it and she was fine. The scab fell off a few weeks later.

 

[Rhonda Floyd]

I had something similar happen to my rescued Cornish cross pullet. I treated her by cleaning her wound with warm water and watered down hydrogen peroxide. After the wound was sterile I applied blue kote to the wound and kept her inside for 2 weeks. After about 2-4 more weeks the blue kote popped off like a scrap and there was healthy pink tissue underneath. It is very important to keep the wound clean and to check on it daily.

Is it going to be hard to reintroduce her to the flock? All 6 chicks were raised together, but she will be out of the coop for at least 3 weeks. Will they accept her again or will she always struggle to fit in? Thanks

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Is it going to be hard to reintroduce her to the flock? All 6 chicks were raised together, but she will be out of the coop for at least 3 weeks. Will they accept her again or will she always struggle to fit in? Thanks

You will have to reintegrate her into the flock. Keep her isolated from the others until she is fully healed.

 

[Eggcessive]

Glad you knew how to treat her. I had a similar experience with a half blind polish hen who would not let out roosters mate with her, due to her being afraid. Her scalp scabbed over in a couple of weeks, and her feathers grew back in around a month or 6 weeks later. Wishing you good luck with your chicken.

 

[Eggcessive]

How big is the coop? If possible I would leave her with her friends in a dog crate with her own food and water. If the coop is too small, then do that during the daytime out side if possible. The more she stays with them, though separated in a wire dog crate, the easier the re-integration will go. Good luck.

 

[Rhonda Floyd]

How big is the coop? If possible I would leave her with her friends in a dog crate with her own food and water. If the coop is too small, then do that during the daytime out side if possible. The more she stays with them, though separated in a wire dog crate, the easier the re-integration will go. Good luck.

Took her to the vet, she had surgery to close her skull and cover her cervical spine. If she makes it through the night I can pick her up tomorrow

 

[Eggcessive]

I hope she recovers from the surgery. Keep us posted.