Help! What should I do?? 2 week chick with major injury to wing

[mothersin2ition]

We had our hen hatch babies 2 weeks ago. They have been free-ranging with mama, and just 2 nights ago I started putting them in the coop with the other hens. Up until then, they were in a make-shift chicken tractor at night. This morning we found a baby with her wing almost tore off, down to the muscle, no skin left intact. I think one of the hens must have done it, but Im not sure- it could have been the other chicks or even mama.
Chick is acting fine, but I want to know what I can do for first aid for it? We brought it inside and put it in a brooder box, but it was freaking out, trying to fly out of the box and I was worried it would hurt itself even worse by trying to get out. So we put it back outside with mother and babies. Is there anything I can do to help it survive??

 

[redhen]

i dont know..heres a bump up so the experts will see this...good luck!..poor baby!...

...

 

[lowcountrypoultry]

Im no expert, but I always use Antibiotic Ointment on my chickens when ever they are hurt badly, if you do that and make sure shes eating and drinking. All should go well.

Keep Us Updated,

and Best Of Luck

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

This should probably be under the Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures section. Perhaps the mods can move it?

Here is what i have found so far from searching other threads:

First thing you need to do is separate them from the other hens to prevent picking, which would worsen the wounds.

Second, you can cleanse the wounds with saline solution.

Call a feed store in your area and ask about topical antibiotics for chickens. Don't use the stuff you'd buy at the grocery store - it's toxic. You can use Neosporin on the wound, but it must be the kind with NO benzocaine pain numbing additive. Benzocaine is harmful to chickens.

and from another thread:

The FIRST thing you need to do is get her in a warm, quiet, dark place. Make sure she is drinking. If there is no bleeding, Put 2 regular aspirins in 1 gallon of water. This will help with the pain. DO NOT GIVE IT TO HER IS SHE IS ACTIVLY BLEEDING!
Once she calms down, and recovers from the shock, you will need to clean the wound with saline solution and apply neosporin. This will take some time to heal...so plan on haveing a house chicken for several weeks. You will need to keep the flies, and other chickens away from her.


Good luck, and i hope some of the experts come along soon to offer advice. i do very strongly feel you need to bring her inside with such a severe injury.

 

[mothersin2ition]

Thank you thank you for the wonderful advice!! I will keep you all updated, but I'm

that we can help her make a full recovery

 

[Bandana]

I posted this a couple of weeks ago on another thread, "I'd separate her for a couple of days, at least, until the wound closes. Keep her in a nice clean environment. As long as the wound isn't visible when she's walking around, and the others aren't pecking at her, she'll be ok.

Years ago, a neighbor's dog got out of it's kennel and killed some of my flock. One of my hens was badly injured. There was a big chunk of flesh and feathers missing from her back. I could see her innards through the thin membrane that was left. I put her in a big box in the house, and put Neosporine on the wound several times a day. That not only kept her from getting infection, but kept the membrane from drying out and cracking. Eventually the skin grew back, as well as many of the feathers. She had a bald spot on her back about the size of a silver dollar which she learned to cover by holding her wing back a little. That bird turned out to be my second best layer ever. "

Also, I learned that my birds were easier to handle if I went out and gathered them up an hour or two after they had roosted for the night. They would still flip out a little bit, but not nearly as much, and they calmed back down much more quickly.

Good luck with your little fuzzy butt.

 

[dlhunicorn]

I would not use the aspirin on such a young chick.
Please post a pic if you can...a figure of eight bandage might be in order...
http://www.starlingtalk.com/fractures.htm
make sure she is kept at the age appropriate temperature as she is no longer able to have mamma for this.... draft free (perhaps a cardboard box?

 

[ZepChick]

The only advice I can give is keep her comfortable. I am not very experienced, but the poor girl might be scared without her mama. Good luck!!