Help...pecking at wounds!

[OzarkEgghead]

I free-range my girls during the day & all has been good until yesterday when we had a brazen daylight raid by 5 coyotes. They killed & ran off with one hen & injured another before I could rescue her.

They pulled out about 1/3 of the feathers on her back & left her with a few lacerations. I was concerned that I had rescued her just for her to die later from the trauma & her wounds but it's been 30 hrs since the attack & she seems ok...other than the cuts.

I've been dribbling some Today (Cephaprin) antibiotic ointment we have for the cattle on the wounds once a day. So far, no signs of infection BUT...I'm seeing the other hens pecking at her wounds...and tonight I saw HER pecking at them, as well. I'm concerned they're going to make them worse, prevent healing &/or introduce infection that will end up killing her. I thought about separating her so the other girls can't peck the wounds...but that doesn't prevent HER from continuing to do so. I considered trying to put a wrap around her to protect the wounds but, where they're located, I think a dressing will end up slipping off.

Any suggestions what I can do to prevent the pecking so the wounds start healing?

 

[Chickassan]

Paper plate cone or just a paper cone. You've seen the ones they put on dogs, same idea just hen sized.

 

[Suzi18]

Definitely remove her. The others will literally peck her to death given the chance. Do you have any Blukote? You can spray that on her wounds. They won't peck if they can't see the red and the Blukote will take care of that

 

[ChickNanny13]

Separate, Blu Kote, Victorian Collar, how about a baby/kid shirt depending on where the wound is? Covering the wound would be the last resort, it needs to breath to heal. If separating and Blu Kote work, that would be the best.

Sorry to hear you had a predator attack

 

[OzarkEgghead]

I don't happen to have any Blu-kote on hand but I'll run to town first thing tomorrow & get some! I have a 36 x 48 x 45 wire dog crate I used until my St Bernard's were house trained. I put it in the coop for her so that she's separated enough they can't peck her but she has the companionship & feel of still being with the flock. Thanks SO much for the suggestions!

 

[teringeorge]

Anyone with animals should always have Blukote on hand. I use the type that has a dobber in it instead of the spray because the spray bottle always clogs and dribbles down the sides of the bottle all over my hands. Another item you should have on hand is rubber gloves. I use the kind doctors use. They are quite inexpensive.