Help! Large bleeding wound on hen's head & neck!

[zigmommy]

My kids found one of our hens bleeding and barely moving this morning. She isn't actively bleeding but is in real bad shape. Is there anything I can do for her???

 

[zigmommy]

 

[zigmommy]

On the advice of another article I found I flushed the wound with warm water and a touch of Dawn dish soap then again with warm water and peroxide (which made for an unhappy hen, of course!). Dried her off a bit and put her in my bathtub on clean straw with a dish of food and water.

On closer inspection it doesn't look like any of the actual neck was damaged just the skin but it's a large wound!

But she's not moving much and I don't know if it's better to try to save her or to let her go. Could use some advice....first time we've had anything like this!

 

[HenGirl2002]

I had something like that with a Quail and she survived (a Quail is a bit smaller than a hen).

TCP or witch hazel (clean it sufficiently) and bring her in side and keep a close eye on her for a copple of hours and if she gets worse then take her to the vets.

HenGirl2002

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for the delay in getting answers. The only other thing I would do is to apply Neosporin or Polysproin antibiotic ointment to get it moist and prevent infection. Re-apply daily. Since she is up and pecking at food, she may be fine. They can regrow skin to cover large wounds like this easily if no infection develops. Any foul odor or pus would need cleaning off with a weak betadine or Hibiclens and water solution. You could give her an antibiotic such as amoxicillin or keflex, but it may not be necessary. When it heals a product called BluKote may be helpful to spray on healed red skin so that she doesn't get pecked. Do you know if she was attacked by a predatory or other chickens?

 

[HenGirl2002]

Maybe she is being attacked by the other hens (do you have a cockerel??)
Check around the coop for anything she could have cut her self on! (could be the problem)
Is she a active hen normally??

HenGirl2002

 

[zigmommy]

She and another hen are new to an established flock. We know the two of them were getting picked on but didn't see anything more serious than the natural re-sorting of the pecking order. My boys had seen her get stuck between the fence and the little shelters we have for them while their coop is being built. We think maybe she got stuck again and her aggressors went to town. It wasn't a predator so it had to be other chickens. We've been observing to see if there's any one stand out meanie to cull.

Thank you for all the suggestions, I was wondering about Neosporin!

 

[zigmommy]

We actually have three cockerels (bought the whole flock from a neighbor and they're all the same age, born July 4th) and we believe it's the top-most rooster that's the likely culprit. The lowest one has all his tail feathers pecked out as well. We're pretty sure it's him....looks like his time has come!

The two new hens just came from next door two days ago where they were active and healthy....

 

[HenGirl2002]

She maybe got stuck (as you said) and got destresed and panicked and got kut!

Poor thing.

HenGirl2002

P.S. Do you have a cockerel??

 

[HenGirl2002]

Ok it might of been the cockerels they like there hens!!

I have 2 and they are at it all the time!!

HenGirl2002

P.S. So your going to kill the cockerel??