Help please, large skin wound.

[CandylandRanch]

i went to let my 18, 13 week olds out in the run today and found this. One of my little lavander Orpingtons laying down with her all her feathers missing and a lot of skin scrapped off. I have rinsed her with betadine and sprayed with vetericyn, I will apply triple antibiotic ointment. Do I bandage it? Such an awkward area to bandage, just put gauze and wrap vet wrap all the way around her body? U have penicillin from another bird I am treating, should I give this one a round of it to be safe? Also she is shaking and has eyes closed can I give anything for pain? I have childrens Motrin in my cabinet. Also I doubt little one will eat like this! How do I get it to eat? Some kind of bird formula ? Do I force feed water with a dropper? She's going to make it, right? Being just a skin wound that's what I'm hoping. Also next thing.. How did this happen? Their coop had enough room for 50 birds, newly remodeled.. Did the others attack her in the night?? They have all been together since day one.. I have never seen aggressive behavior from any of them thank you in advance for recommendations and advice!!!!!

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry! Call your poultry vet about meds to give, and keep her indoors away from the flies. If it's only skin, she will probably heal. If deep tissues, or into body cavity, not good at all. Reevaluate you coop and run; you've got a predator problem. Mary

 

[eviemethugh]

Probably there is a place where something like a raccoon can fit its hand in enough to cause damage. when this is the case you will find damage as bad as missing heads, because they can get the head out to eat but not the rest of the bird.

For the wound, keep it clean, spray it with the blue spray so the others leave her alone. Usually this is minor damage enough that she will easily recover. The only part that worries me is that you say she isn't acting normal.

If you have any electrolytes you can feed through a dropper (gatorade, pedialyte, quick chick)
If she isn't eating, try to offer soft foods that are protein such as jarred baby food (chicken & peas...whatever), boiled egg, etc.

 

[luckeychicken]

I have 4 young chicks and when I checked on them yesterday I discovered a wound similar to yours except on her head. The chicks are completely separated from the older hens so the only way she could have got injured is by one of the other 3 chicks. Hard to believe one of them would do that to another but I have no other explanation for it. I have separated her from the other chicks(in my home) and treated her with peroxide and antibiotic ointment, she seems to be getting better. Not sure if I will be able to reintroduce her back to the flock though. Hope your chick recovers.

 

[emmaie892000]

Chickens are great at growing back skin, you just have to ensure that the others don't pick on her.
I second the blukote advice above, and even with that, I would keep her separate until it's scabbed up a little bit.
The shaking with closed eyes is probably just shock, chickens can deal with quite a bit of pain. I think you can give them baby aspirin, but you'd have to look up the dosage.
Overall I think she'll do just fine. One of mine was attacked by a dog and had skin removal as well as deeper injuries, and she recovered beautifully.

 

[CandylandRanch]

So I went in the coop tonight and observed. I saw one of my BCM ( of course one of my faves with those big brown eyes) pecking at a few others in the same spots, so I checked and one of my salmon faverolles was developing a bloody patch! I have isolated the meany but what is causing this? Why is this one pecking the others until bloody!? I have a grown EE hen in the seperate hen house who is doing the SAME THING to the other grown hens. I think once I have read it could mean protein deficiency, thoughts?

 

[emmaie892000]

Picking can mean they have some kind of deficiency they're trying to get, you could try different feed or give them some free choice nutrients.
However, it could also just be extreme pecking order squabbles. You may have to rehome the bully if it gets too out of hand, but I would hope its just temporary. I'm not sure why your adult would be acting the same...do you have them on the same food?

 

[Akrnaf2]

Isolate the wounded hen.
Check her back and sides for puncturing wounds. If you fined one you should clean it, as the large wound with worm water and antiseptic soap,disinfect with Iodine and spread antibiotic ointment, repeat this daily fir 5-7 days. If the lung is punctured it could be a problem, she will need some vet advice. I would give her some vitamins an electrolytes, and some rich food(crushed boiled egg, some tuna fish) to relief som of her stress levels. In this period I would check the wound daily if You saw any sign of infection, puss, oozing liquids, etc, you should give her some antibiotic orally or by injection. Baytril or Tylan are good choice.
Reed this links
http://www.drugs.com/vet/tylan-soluble.html

http://www.drugs.com/search.php?searchterm=Baytril&sources[]=

Don't eat the chicken and her eggs if you give her this antibiotics.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Blue-kote is a wonderful product and available at your local feed store. An anti septic spray that's blue to cover the wound. It's a constant part of my chicken supplies. Feather pecking can happen with introductions and if over crowded. Had to spray two of my growing chicks a few days ago. Was one day late building the grow out coop apparently so put them in a separate small pen outside for the day until the coop was finished that evening. All together again and not only the needed space is keeping them from pecking the open wounds but the blue covering. Chickens will run over from four feet away to peck an open wound when red.

 

[emmaie892000]

I recommend blukote for almost anything haha