Help, chicken attacked by coon, has open crop, exposed bone!

Enid Stowers

Chirping
7 Years
Jul 19, 2016
25
6
79
8 chickens were massacred, but we have one Ameraucana with no injuries and a small black silkie with a large gaping wound to her lower neck/chest. This exposes her left breastbone, her crop with the contents falling out, and muscle. We found her about 12 hours later hiding under the other chicken last night and brought them both in to keep in tote brooders. At first I couldn't tell what was exposed because it was all dried up, and I slathered antibiotic ointment all over it. This morning, it is a huge gaping wound with the above exposed, and I almost think the crop was eaten off because it's not like a sac with a hole.... she is walking around and clucking, eating food and drinking water, but the water is dripping down her chest, and all of her seed is falling out her chest.
Should I keep slathering on the ointment, wrap it in a figure of eight loosely around her to keep it moist? I want to trim the feathers around it to clear it out but could that cause bleeding from one of the feathers? Should I put her out of her misery? Should I let her stay with the other one who keeps trying to look over her bin to see her? Are they bonded now after the massacre? When I kept them together for the first couple of hours, I didn't see the other one peck at her wound at all, but I didn't want it to lead to that so I separated them.
I can't bring myself to put her down. Is this a survivable wound?
 
Last edited:
To make sure since it's so hard to see, I want to trim out her periwound of the feathers and clean it up first, before I decide to euthanize her. Will the feathers bleed if I trim them? And if I have to euthanize her, what method do you suggest (instead of the traditional wringing of the neck or shooting).
 
To make sure since it's so hard to see, I want to trim out her periwound of the feathers and clean it up first, before I decide to euthanize her. Will the feathers bleed if I trim them? And if I have to euthanize her, what method do you suggest (instead of the traditional wringing of the neck or shooting).
You should be able to pluck the feathers. PLuck them in the direction they grow, but wat for tearing of the skin. If skin starts to tear, trim those feathers.
 
To make sure since it's so hard to see, I want to trim out her periwound of the feathers and clean it up first, before I decide to euthanize her. Will the feathers bleed if I trim them? And if I have to euthanize her, what method do you suggest (instead of the traditional wringing of the neck or shooting).
So sorry you are faced with this. :(

Raccoon are definitely not chicken friend. :mad:

You are a much braver soul than I! :hugs How amazing that she is even trying to eat or drink!

If you have to... I use a sharp knife and cut the throat over a trash can. :hmm
 
Thank you for your responses! I decided since she could not keep any food or water in her, it didn't matter if she healed up well, she would die. So our neighbor took care of it. Thanks again!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom