help i dont know what to do *** UPDATED WITH PICS PLEASE TAKE A LOOK *

[maxxsmommy]

My 21 week old PR named rose was acting really funny.. she was super pale in her face and wouldnt walk much, I thought maybe a possible egg bound issue.. Brought her in the house last night to see if i could get the egg out... (felt like an egg was stuck) but when i took my hands off of her i noticed there was blood all over! took a look and she is missing a whole bunch of feathers and has a huge gash on her side! and is missing alot of skin... so obviously something tried to get her while they were free ranging! not sure what i should do for her! Its really bad! she is eating and drinking but what should i do for her?? I know she is in pain.... HELP

 

[chicmom]

Oh boy, is she gaping open?

 

[maxxsmommy]

the Gash is open yes. not like huge in width wise, but length wise the gash is really long! Im really worried! Im even afraid to let the others out today!

 

[jbowyer01]

If you could post a pic it might help. You should make sure shes brought inside and kept in a dark quite place. It will help reduce stress. You can try to rinse the wound out and put antibiotic ointment on it. Give her foods such as plain yogurt, bread with a little olive oil, scrambled eggs and water with vitamins in it. I'm sure someone here knows more. Good Luck!

 

[Cetawin]

Rinse it and clean it well with a sterile saline solution. Look to determine how severe the damage is...does it need stitches, is anything but skin and muscle affected? If it needs stitches, make sure it is cleaned well and free from any dirt or foreign stuff and leave a small section at the lowest part of the gash open for drainage. By lowest, I mean cloest to the ground or the lowest portion of the gash. She can get a baby aspirin crushed up once per day if there is heat in the wound or signs of inflammation.

Also, does she run with a rooster? If so, check his spurs and toenails. They can often rip the sides of girls open by sliding off of the hen or losing balance and a sharp spur or toenail make a gash. If so, trim spur tips blunt and toenails trimmed.

If stitches are not needed, apply triple antibiotic ointment WITHOUT pain reliever to the gash, make sure she is getting food and water, boost with extra protein and electrolytes in water (first 24 hours) Avia Charge is a good product. It if was a predator attack, you may consider injectable penicillin, one shot for 3 or 4 days only in the breat or thigh muscle, whichever is more meaty. For grown standard breed over say 7 or 8 lbs... 1/2 CC once per day for smaller pullet sized bird 1/4 CC say under 6lb bird.

Keep it clean and keep her hydrated and eating to avoid shock keep her warm as much as possible and in a darkened environment for 24 hours or so to help keep her calm.

Good luck with her.

 

[chicmom]

You could flush out the wound a bit with some peroxide, iodine works well too, but everything will be dyed red. I would keep her in a cage with food and water nearby, and give her some antibiotics too.

 

[Cetawin]

NO peroxide on open wounds...it damages good tissue. Avoid that whenever possible...only use it in severe cases of dirt and junk or maggots or something really bad. Use betadine if sterile saline solution is not available. You can search on hee for the recipe to make your own saline soultion too.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Poor hen. If she is eating and drinking that is a good sign. Clean the wound well. I like using a solution of iodine and water. Trim feathers around the wound. Use lots of neosproin or antibiotic ointment in and around the wound and reapply twice a day. Many first aid products that we use on people can be used on chickens, but birds are sensitive to benzocaine and lidocaine so check the label before applying. If she is not picking at the wound perhaps it can be left without dressing. but you can use gauze and vet wrap to dress the wound if you think that is best. Of course she needs to be separated from the others while she is healing. Chickens are can get better from some pretty bad wounds. Keep a look out for any signs of infection like pus or bad smell.

 

[maxxsmommy]

I dont have baby asprin, could i give her normal asprin? i cleaned the cut out. i will put some Triple antibitotic ointment on it. she has not laid an egg in 2 days so far.. (she is a layer every day type of girl)... should i be worried about that? I do have some penicillin in the shot form.. so i will give her some of that as well. Thank you guys so much for your help.. Wish me luck, I dont wanna lose this girl! she is my favorite

 

[maxxsmommy]

can i give her aspirin? not the baby aspirin cuz i dont have any but normal aspirin?