Help!!! Bleeding Chicken! What do I do???

[Just a kid]

So my 5 month old chick Clarence somehow got a big cut on her side. I think she might have cut herself on a fence, but the point is now she is bleeding and limping and I don't know what to do. I was going to use hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound but I found a post that said not to so now I'm just going to use warm water. Anything Helps! Thank you!!!
-Just a Kid

 

[rebrascora]

Hi
Do you have a rooster/cockerel.... that is the sort of injury that sometimes happens when an uncoordinated cockerel tries to mate an unwilling pullet and he slips.

Dilute peroxide used once as a cleanser is fine as it will remove the top surface of tissue that may be infected or necrotic. Any subsequent washing would probably be best with a dilute saline solution made from sea salt dissolved in boiled water. I use a syringe without a needle or trigger spray to flush wounds daily with saline and then I find raw honey works very well to create a good healing environment but antibiotic ointment or some other antiseptic cream will do fine. I know it looks bad but she should heal fine.

If I am right and it was a cockerel, you need to either remove it/them from the flock (bachelor pads are ideal for adolescent males) or keep her in a safe place away from them, as they could injure her further.

 

[Just a kid]

Thank you so much for responding! I do have a young rooster but he is very young, I think what happened was she somehow got to the dogs pen, and our German Shepherd might have scared her a little and she might have cut her self on the fence escaping. I found some of her feathers in the pen. I removed her from the rest of the chickens and she is currently residing in my laundry room. After I 'm done cleaning her up I'm just going to let her rest in the dark. I read in a different post to use flour to help the cut clot. Should I do this?

 

[rebrascora]

Is she still actively bleeding a lot?
Personally I think it is better to keep the wound clean and moist and not gunk it up with flour. It is useful if you have clipped a toe nail too short to stem bleeding, but I would not be inclined to put flour on such an open wound unless there was significant bleeding.
She will benefit from some extra protein... eggs, meat or raw liver and/or spinach over the next few days to boost her iron levels and help her heal. A poultry supplement like Nutri Drench or Rooster Booster will probably help her too.

I believe raccoons are bad for reaching through chicken wire and gashing chickens as well, so that might be another possible cause.

 

[Just a kid]

She is still bleeding a bit, not a lot but it hasn't stopped yet. I will feed her some extra protein. Thank you for all the help! Right now I'm just going to clean the wound and let her rest in a dark, warm place. Thank you!

 

[rebrascora]

That sounds like a good plan. Make sure she has plenty to drink so that she doesn't dehydrate, especially if she has lost blood.

 

[micstrachan]

How is your chick doing now? Please keep her indoors for at least tonight.

 

[Just a kid]

She seems fine. I just gave her some food and water last night and she gobbled it up. She also laid down for the first time and she seems more awake. My only concern now is under her wing is really wet when I got up this morning. I was cleaning her up again and the cotton ball came back yellow. Did I not clean it right last night?

 

[chickens really]

You can clean it with peroxide....Do it twice a day...Then spray with an antibacterial spray..

 

[chickens really]

Epsom salt warm water wash too