Help Treating Infected(?) Wound - WARNING GRAPHIC

[Sjisty]

This is what I do whenever I have a chicken with an injury -

I fill the sink with warm water. Add Betadine until the water is the color of weak iced tea. Slowly place the chicken in the sink. She will relax and enjoy the soak and the Betadine will disinfect the wound, getting into the wound much easier and with less trauma to the hen. Of course, you have to make sure afterward that she gets dry. I use a heat lamp and sometimes a hair dryer, if the chicken allows.

As far as food, I give any injured chicken food high in protein - mealworms, eggs, meat, etc.

I usually give a Betadine bath two days in a row and watch to see if the wounds start healing. I also would keep her inside until the wound is dry, to keep flies out of it.

Good luck with your girl!

 

[Bellamore22]

I keep hearing good things about Betadine, maybe I'll get some. Thanks for the support

 

[Sjisty]

How's your hen doing?

 

[Bellamore22]

I am not sure. She is still super skinny, and wont eat out of my hand unless I force a lump of mash in her mouth which is really slow going. She's just not eating enough. I asked a couple times elsewhere if anyone knew where to find tube feeding supplies, but most responses are just shrugs and/or "did you try airline tubing?". Casportpony gave me a link, but I am worried that they will just cancel my order again because I don't have a prescription. Even if it goes through it will take over a week to get here which might be too late. She hasn't gotten worse however, so maybe she's eating when I am not looking? I don't know.

I am just gonna have to do the airline tubing method until then and see how it goes.

 

[Sjisty]

Go to the pet store and get aquarium tubing. Cut to length and then hold a lighted match to the cut end just long enough to barely melt the end so it isn't sharp. It will fit on a large syringe, which you can get at Tractor Supply or any farm store. If you "buzz" your chicken feed in a food processor or blender, it helps make it smooth enough so it won't clog the tubing. You can also try baby food.

 

[MrsBrooke]

They make a KayTee baby bird food that is really great for sick chickens. It's liquid, too, so it's super easy to tube. Be sure and get the 16" tube and do the lighter trick like @Sjisty mentioned. All of this can be found at PetsMart or Petco. You may have to get a 30-60cc syringe at your feed store. I would definitely get a larger one... Tubing a bird with the tiny syringes and having to switch the tube and all that is REALLY a pain.

To tube a chicken...

If she has NOT been drinking enough, I'd start with Pedialyte, the orange stuff for kids at the store, at 15ml/lb. So for a 4 lb chicken, that's 60 ml. Tube 20 ml and check her crop. If she's okay, tube another 20ml and check her crop. If she's okay, tube the last 20 ml for a total of 60 ml.

Repeat this ^^^ again in 60-90 minutes.

Repeat AGAIN in 4 hours.

Mix the KayTee bird food 1 part food to 2 parts water. Tube her every few hours until you reach ~120 ml per day.

You can definitely do a "blender" feed mix with water... I just worry that it might clog.

Also, "load" the tube BEFORE you put it in her crop... Otherwise, you'll fill her with a bunch of air.

Here is a picture of the anatomy of a chicken throat:



You want to AVOID the opening at the center-back of the tongue... That's the trachea, and tubing anything down there can kill your bird... So aim for the LEFT of it.

You're going to do great. <3

MrsB

 

[Bellamore22]

So update on little chicken, the night of my last post I tried to force feed her by hand as best I could, syringed her some water and put her to bed till I could go to the store the next day. Well the next morning I tried giving her a little blob of high calorie syrup to see if that would give her a boost, and boy did she perk up! She immediately started eating and drinking and while she didn't look super healthy for the next couple days, eventually she started to get exited to be outside again. Just this morning I went outside and saw her lay a perfect little egg, so I think she is well on her way.

I ordered the supplies in the mail anyways, but while I didn't need to tube feed her this time, at least I have them and know how to use them now just in case.

Thanks for your help guys.

 

[Sjisty]

Yay! So glad she's on the mend!

 

[Bellamore22]

Me too! She was one of my favorites so I am glad.

 

[MrsBrooke]

I am relieved to hear!

MrsB