Help!! Back of chickens head pecked off!!! (caution: gory images)

[izzybider]

Hi all,
I came into the barn and found one of my chickens hiding in the corner, scared, and in shock. When I get near her she makes some crazy noises. She is probably the least friendly chicken that I have (she is extremely hard to catch and always runs away), but now she doesn't try to run away, which is obviously not normal behavior for her. However, she is still eating and drinking, which is good. She is limping now too though. Right now I have her inside in a cage, alone. She's barely moving but tries to jump out, knocks her food over, and hides in corners.

What do you guys recommend doing? Do you recommend vetericyn, underwood, or something else? Should I be applying something along the lines of Neosporin daily too? Should I bandage it? Should I put her in a small cage or let her roam in a big cage? Is it okay for her to be outside, away from other chickens of course, or inside? Should I be putting electrolytes in her water too? Should I be washing the womb daily? Or is it best to just put the poor guy out of her misery? (the vet is not an option unfortunately btw) As you see, I have lots of questions! I've never dealt with something like this and honestly have no idea what to do! Any feedback would be helpful. Thank you all so much.


Here is what she looks like:

 

[NuggetTheChicken]

Hi all,
I came into the barn and found one of my chickens hiding in the corner, scared, and in shock. When I get near her she makes some crazy noises. She is probably the least friendly chicken that I have (she is extremely hard to catch and always runs away), but now she doesn't try to run away, which is obviously not normal behavior for her. However, she is still eating and drinking, which is good. She is limping now too though. Right now I have her inside in a cage, alone. She's barely moving but tries to jump out, knocks her food over, and hides in corners.

What do you guys recommend doing? Do you recommend vetericyn, underwood, or something else? Should I be applying something along the lines of Neosporin daily too? Should I bandage it? Should I put her in a small cage or let her roam in a big cage? Is it okay for her to be outside, away from other chickens of course, or inside? Should I be putting electrolytes in her water too? Should I be washing the womb daily? Or is it best to just put the poor guy out of her misery? (the vet is not an option unfortunately btw) As you see, I have lots of questions! I've never dealt with something like this and honestly have no idea what to do! Any feedback would be helpful. Thank you all so much.


Here is what she looks like:

View attachment 2164043
View attachment 2164040

That is really bad! Have they pecked through the skin?

 

[NuggetTheChicken]

I would clean up the blood and apply blukote and separate her

 

[birdsrfun]

@staceyj and @Eggcessive have helped others in your situation. Hopefully they can chime in and help you.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your injured hen. This is a common place for bad wounds. Do you have a rooster in your flock? They will try to grab hold of the back of the neck to hold on. I had a hen who refused to be mated, and she was scalped similarly.

Vetericyn Wound Spray or saline are good to spray on the wound twice a day, followed by plain Neosporin or similar antibiotic ointment applied to the wound. Keep it uncovered, but instead of bedding, place a clean towel under her in a dog crate. She needs to stay isolated and away from flies, due to the posibility of maggot infestation. This would should eventually heal, but it may take weeks. Hopefully her limp is just temporary, but check for any swelling or displacement of her legs.

 

[izzybider]

That is really bad! Have they pecked through the skin?

Yes, they did!

 

[izzybider]

I would clean up the blood and apply blukote and separate her

Thanks!

 

[izzybider]

@staceyj and @Eggcessive have helped others in your situation. Hopefully they can chime in and help you.

Awesome, thanks. I'll try reaching out.

 

[izzybider]

Sorry about your injured hen. This is a common place for bad wounds. Do you have a rooster in your flock? They will try to grab hold of the back of the neck to hold on. I had a hen who refused to be mated, and she was scalped similarly.

Vetericyn Wound Spray or saline are good to spray on the wound twice a day, followed by plain Neosporin or similar antibiotic ointment applied to the wound. Keep it uncovered, but instead of bedding, place a clean towel under her in a dog crate. She needs to stay isolated and away from flies, due to the posibility of maggot infestation. This would should eventually heal, but it may take weeks. Hopefully her limp is just temporary, but check for any swelling or displacement of her legs.

This was very helpful, thank you so much!! And we don't have any roosters. I hope your hen is doing better though!

 

[mandymcg05]

Poor baby!!