Help! My hen has deep puncture wounds and green skin!

[TwinkleChicken]

The day before yesterday, one of my hens was killed, and one was brutally attacked and defeathered. She has a patch of green flesh that won't wipe off, about .5 inches in diameter, (so I came to the conclusion that it's part of the flesh), and an area where all of her skin and feathers is gone, about 2 inches in diameter. So, I turn to you my fellow friend and chicken lovers. Please help! Will be posting pictures soon. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 

[Eggcessive]

Green is bruising. Look for puncture wounds that might be hidden under wings or feathers. What are you using to clean the wounds? Chlorhexidene, weak povidone iodine or betadine, and saline are all good for cleaning wounds. Leave the wound open and apply plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment twice daily. How is she? Alert, able to walk, eating or drinking? Were they attacked during the day or at night, and inside the coop or out?

 

[TwinkleChicken]

Green is bruising. Look for puncture wounds that might be hidden under wings or feathers. What are you using to clean the wounds? Chlorhexidene, weak povidone iodine or betadine, and saline are all good for cleaning wounds. Leave the wound open and apply plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment twice daily. How is she? Alert, able to walk, eating or drinking? Were they attacked during the day or at night, and inside the coop or out?

Thanks so much for the information! We are already applying neosporin and 3x antibiotic ointment to her wound, and will follow your other advice. ordered blu-kote, bc of similar postings to mine, will arrive tomorrow. We will apply it to her the. Also, she is eating and drinking (but not as much as usual), plus she always looks fatigued.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hope that she gets stronger each day. Watch for signs of infection, and let us know how she is getting along.

 

[TwinkleChicken]

Hope that she gets stronger each day. Watch for signs of infection, and let us know how she is getting along.

Thanks so much for helping me out with this! I'm sure Iris (that's the chicken's name) thanks you too.

 

[CocoAndPrincess]

Hi everyone, I'm Iris's human mom's mom, and I just want to thank you for the info and advice. The info that the green was bruising, not gangrene or something fatal, gave us enough hope to keep trying everything to bring Iris back from the brink. And it worked! Her feathers are growing back in, and all her skin wounds seem to have healed. She spent a week in our chicken hospital (our laundry room), and after that we returned her to her coop and her one remaining flock-mate, Tulip. She seems to be just as good as new. It's truly amazing that she survived, and recovered so quickly. So, thanks again for all the help, here and elsewhere on the site. We couldn't have gotten through this without you all!!
P.S.- Our care regimen was twice a day triple antibiotic ointment, plus spray-on antibiotic to get those hard to reach areas, plus we held her and fed her her favorite treats twice daily like blueberries, and also gave her fresh water while holding her in my lap to make sure she drank at least twice daily. In the beginning, she didn't want to eat or drink, but holding her and giving her food and drink slowly bit by bit got enough nutrition and hydration into her to get her over the hump. Oh, and we also made our own "predator skirt" like the one that comes with Eglu's coops. We may be buying a real Eglu Cube soon, too!