Help- Hurt 6 month old hen

[Krissycorn]

My 6mo old Buff Orpington had a really bad injury behind

her left wing. It seems so bad that her skin is peeled away and infected. I've had the 12 hens (different kinds) and 2 roosters (barred rock and NE Red) since they were chicks and noticed that the roosters are getting very aggressive. Could this be from the roosters? Hen pecking? I'm new to chickens and haven't seen this before, nor do I know how to treat it. I feel so badly for her. She's so sweet. I appreciate your help!!

 

[Abster2]

I would say that it is either from an outside preditor like a fishercat, fox or dog because it is quite deep to be from another chicken however it could also have been from that. You should put her in a seperate area away from all of the others for awhile. She needs to rest. You can put neosporin on the wound if you would like. You mainly have to watch out for infection so another thing you could do is put a dressing on it. Don't use something sticky, just a small piece of gauze will do. If it doesn't get better soon your best bet would be to take her to the vet. I can't see how deep it is from the picture but if you think it is fairly deep, take her to the vet to get stitches. I hope that she gets better soon! Please keep us posted!
Sincerely,
Abster2

 

[Krissycorn]

We cleaned her up as best we could. She had a 4" square wound site. It looks as though one of the rooster Spurs may have sliced her or she may have dodged a Hawk that's been circling lately. My husband cleaned her out with warm water and hydrogen peroxide, cleaned away the caked on mud and infection. She was so brave as I held her wing away and kept her head down. We patched her as best we could with butterfly bandages, sterile tape and then wrapped her with gauze tape. She is in a dog crate in our garage with a heat lamp to keep her cozy, food and water. It's been unusually warm weather here right now in NJ for December but rainy with cold nights. Should I check the dressing everyday or just leave it to nature? Never haughty I would be mending a chicken!

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[donrae]

I'm thinking it's spur damage. How you decide to manage your rooster issue will be up to you.

The good news is birds can recover from some pretty horrific injuries. Since the wound is now clean, no more peroxide. You can rinse with saline every day to keep it clean if you wish, but I think just a rinse and keeping it covered for the most part will be all she needs. I'm not a fan of using antibiotic ointment as a preventative, in humans or livestock. Watch for signs of infection--warmth/heat, redness, foul odor--those will need treatment with antibiotics. Otherwise, keep her warm and quiet. Offer her high protein foods, as protein is what the body uses to heal wounds. Electrolytes in her water won't hurt either, just to be sure her system is running the best it can. Her comb still looks nice and red, that's a good sign.

When you're ready to put her back with the flock (sooner rather than later is best for her social status) Blu-Kote is a good thing to spray on the wound area. Birds love to peck at any exposed or different looking skin, and the Blu-Kote will disguise the wound so the other birds leave it alone.

 

[Abster2]

You can just check the dressing every few days if you wish. Right now just try and keep her as comfortable as possible. I hope that she is better soon!
-Abster2

 

[redbudchix]

Hi. That does look like it could have been caused by a spur. There are many ways to take the Spurs off...I've personally used the hot potato method. It worked great, and it never seems to bother my boys while I do it. As far as the wound...I would slather NuStock on it and get her into a chicken saddle. NuStock is wonderful, and I have used it for years. I wouldn't recommend using the peroxide any more. It tends to push down infection...at least that's what a doctor told me. That's why they don't use it in hospitals. The saddle will help keep the wound protected, even if she is your roosters favorite. Check it every day...I've had this problem many times. I've even just rubbed the NuStock on their backs, and set them back out...I LOVE THAT STUFF!