HELP us please...injured chicken...

[Shanced]

My daughter accidentally closed the heavy coop door on our little 3 month old hen and one eye popped and there is blood coming out her nostrils and one ear is bloody... my daughter keeps crying and saying she's so, so sorry... I want to help this chicken live for her sake as well. I've given the chicken water with a little apple cider vinegar and she's wrapped in a towel in a basket. One time she opened her one good eye and looked frantic and quickly sank back down when I stroked her head. She's not eating and breathes with her beak slightly open (very slightly). What do I do about her bloody nostrils? They're caked in blood but not still bleeding. Should I put triple-antibiotic ointment or neosporin on her popped eye socket so it doesn't get infected? What should I give her so she'll eat? This happened 2 hours ago...

 

[Judy]

You could clean her up and use the Neosporin, but I'm afraid you'd just be disturbing a doomed chicken. It sounds like there is a major head injury there. If so, a vet could probably do no better. I'm so sorry, and I REALLY hope I'm wrong.

I accidentally killed a kitten once, in much the same way, after hand raising it for a month from newborn age. I know others on here have done something similar; I've read threads about such. I know you'll hold your daughter and remind her about a thousand times that it was an accident, whatever the outcome.

 

[ChooksChick]

Oh- I'm so very sorry.

I would guess that if the pressure was enough to break the eye, it likely also broke some bones.

I'm not very hopeful that this little bird will do well. If you're intent on making it through this, I would suggest some neosporin SPRAY on the wound. The bleeding from the nostrils is due to the sinuses and eyes being so close, and the bleeding is seeping down- there was likely some in the mouth from the sinus opening that is in the roof of the mouth, too. If it's stopped, the bleeding should be ending.

I don't know how you'll do it, but you can give 1/2 a baby aspirin to her to help with the pain. 81mg aspirin are sometimes red, sometimes yellow- they will often eat them by themselves if able. The panting is a sign of pain and stress.

Keep her warm, comfortable, and in the dark and quiet. If you feel like it isn't working out and need to euthanize, it's okay to make that choice.

Tell your daughter it's not her fault if the bird doesn't make it- and tell her this story- it's helped my kids through losses:



The Dragonfly

Once, in a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads,
there lived a little water beetle in a community of water
beetles. They lived a simple and comfortable life in the pond
with few disturbances and interruptions.

Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of
their fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad and
would never be seen again. They knew when this happened; their
friend was dead, gone forever.

Then, one day, one little water beetle felt an irresistible urge
to climb up that stem. However, he was determined that he would
not leave forever. He would come back and tell his friends what
he had found at the top.

When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the
surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun felt so
warm, that he decided he must take a nap. As he slept, his body
changed and when he woke up, he had turned into a beautiful
blue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender body
designed for flying.

So, fly he did! And, as he soared he saw the beauty of a whole
new world and a far superior way of life to what he had never
known existed.

Then he remembered his beetle friends and how they were thinking
by now he was dead. He wanted to go back to tell them, and
explain to them that he was now more alive than he had ever been
before. His life had been fulfilled rather than ended.

But, his new body would not go down into the water. He could
not get back to tell his friends the good news. Then he
understood that their time would come, when they, too, would
know what he now knew. So, he raised his wings and flew off
into his joyous new life!


~Author Unknown~

 

[crazy4eggsJulie]

So so sorry to hear this. I don't have any practical advice for you. It may sound silly, but we pray for our animals. It brings peace to the kids and we've actually seen several healings! Keep us posted!

 

[magoochie]

Yikes! Sorry I cant help, i have no experience in bird first aid.

Hopefully someone can help though. Maybe a warm wet papertowel to gently clean the bloody nostrils?

 

[KimberlyJ]

So sorry for you and your daughter. But I agree, it is probably going to pass away. I too have done some really "stupid" things accidentally and harmed or killed one of my animals. Your thread brings back the memories for me. I think it's a part of life, none of us live it perfectly.

 

[KimberlyJ]

Thanks ChooksChick. That story made me all teary eyed, not having children I never heard it before. It's a good one to keep around.

 

[oldchickenlady]

I would just wait and see at this point. A serious head (brain) injury is not going to be fixable by any treatment with antibiotics or anything else. Keep food and water available but if the blow was hard enough to pop an eye out and cause bleeding from the ear the chicken may have brain injuries that may be difficult to survive. If it does it could still have brain damage to the point it can't function as a normal chicken in a flock. You could possibly cover the eye with a damp bandaid or small piece of gauze, maybe clean it up enough to see how bad the damage is to the eye. Does it's head appear to be mishapened or indented in any way? If so, then there is almost certainly going to be brain damage. I would wait and see how the chicken survives the next day or two then re assess the situation. I am so sorry for your little girl. Sometimes accidents happen...

 

[Shanced]

Her head is not indented, she won't get up but sometimes moves uncomfortably trying to find a good place to rest her head while she peeps loudly, and will not open her good eye. Twice she has peeped when she heard the other chicks peeping outside - I'm sure that's a good sign. I just need to get her to eat...

 

[blefky]

Thanks for passing this story on, though I have raised five children I hadn't heard it. Lovely.

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