Help! What is this?

[Dianekw]

Hey guys, I just found one of my young pullets limping(I think unrelated) and noticed this wound on her neck. Is this from someone pecking her? It looks really nasty...what do I do? I've flushed it with vetricin...she doesn't seem to be in pain...she's her talkative self...wish she could tell me what happened!!! Any advice?

 

[cavemanrich]

Post a picture of injury if you can.


WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Dianekw]

Sorry! I was I. A hurry.

 

[cavemanrich]

It is good you treated with Vetericyn. Place a gauze over wound to keep it clean.
That wound looks more severe than a pecking wound,,,,, but can be from pecking also.
Are there any other predators in your area that could have done this???
Weasels are small, but vicious that cold have bit such a chunk out of neck.
Are there aggressive chickens in your flock?? If so,, you may have to keep the lower pecking order hens isolated from them. Or isolate the aggressor.

 

[Dianekw]

The coop/run is almost completely predatorproof...its 1/2" hardware cloth covering all sides, down to 2x12 boards surrounded by a 4' wide concrete walkway on all sides. Completely roofed. Practically Fort Knox. Only way in is to dig under the walkway, or tear through the hardware cloth. The doors are all a tight fit...the biggest openings are the 1/2" squares in the hardware cloth! ...we live in the country and have too many predators around to take any chances.
I dont think we have any overly aggressive flockmates...I've never noticed anyone pecking her. She and two other girls were recently integrated from another section of the run...I subdivided the 22' x 28' run into three flocks, each with its own coop separated by chicken wire floor to ceiling, so theyre not "strangers" to the "new" flock...they saw each other every day. And I moved them in at night as I have always done when moving chickens from one section to another.

I cant say for sure how long it's been like this, but the edges have dried blood, and it's pretty swollen, so I'm guessing it didn't just happen a few minutes ago, but I have no idea how long ago. She doesn't appear to be in pain(how is that possible????), and if she hadn't been limping, I might not have noticed it tonight! ...but I was trying to figure out what the limp was about when I caught a glimpse of blood on her neck. She's got a LOT of neck feathers, so it was pretty well hidden unless she stretches or bends down...plus she was acting normal except the limp, and no one seemed to be bothering her. I feel so bad for not seeing it sooner, but I had no reason to suspect a problem...they dont peck each other much at all!
I'm wondering if it could be some kind of bug/pest or disease of some kind? Pecking would seem to be the most likely though, cuz of where it is on the back of her neck, except that I haven't seen ANY aggressiveness since the new girls were added...just the occasional single bop on the head as they establish their pecking order...nothing repeated or concerning.

Well, I've cleaned it off as much as I could with the vetericyn, smeared some hen healer on it to hopefully help it heal faster. She's spending the night in the garage in my chick brooder box, and she's got food and water, and seems to be happy enough in there, so I'm gonna go to bed and hope she sleeps well.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would use a warm wet washcloth as a compress to soak off the crust and dried blood. A little Hibiclens chlorhexidene and water would clean and disinfect the wound. Once it is cleaned up get a new picture. Then just use your Vetericyn or saline to spray it twice a day, and then when dry, apply plain Neosporin triple antibiotic ointment twice a day. I would separate her in the coop inside a wire crate with food and water. Watch your flock for any bullying or pecking. Do you have a rooster? They will grab hold of the neck when trying to mate.

 

[LaFleche]

Keep her where flies cannot get to her to lay their eggs in her wound or you will have to deal with additional fly strike in no time.