help with injured chicken please!!!

[prancie]

I found my missing chicken today she had maggots all over her underside. I've washed her off and she is missing a lot of skin from her underside but it appears that she is not punctured beyond that. Can she recover from this injury? I am trying to decide whether or not to put her down. She is walking about, even eating, although she is not as perky as the others. I have her in a box inside for now.

 

[Kedreeva]

Well that's... odd. If she isn't acting sick (she's eating, walking, drinking, etc) then I wouldn't cull her. But you pay definitely want to consider keeping her separated her for a few days someplace clean and dry (chicken hospital haha), and applying some antibiotic cream (like neosporin) or an antiseptic spray to her underside where she's missing skin. Make sure you check her daily for any remaining crawlies on her.

There may be something you can give in her diet while she's separate from the others to help, but I wouldn't know what that is. Maybe someone else can help there

 

[crtrlovr]

Chickens are amazing healers. If she's eating and drinking as you mentioned, I'd definitely not cull her. Keep her inside where flies can't get to her (you may have to have a "house chicken" for a week or two

) and keep the area covered with a film of neosporin or antibiotic cream WITHOUT the pain killer (or any ingredient that ends in "caine" as they are toxic to chickens). I had a hen who was attacked and had NO skin left on the top of her head and part of her neck. Today she has even regrown feathers and only has a thin red line to show for the damage. Good luck.

ETA: you mentioned she's not as "perky" as the others. She may be sore, or she may have an infection. You might want to get some electrolytes/vitamin powder or water soluble antibiotics at the feed store.

 

[chicmom]

OK, so this is really gross but, the maggots were actually a good thing for her......totally nasty I know but they eat away at all the dead skin, and leave the healthy skin alone, so they do help the healing process.....doctors actually use them now-a-days on people with open wounds and they really help clean things up, which helps fight infections.....

Just a tidbit of trivia for you all! (I know--still gross) LOL

 

[goldeneggtees]

I found my hen with a huge maggot covered wound last summer. I was fortunate to have a vet who cleaned her out, stitched her and gave pain meds, fluids and antibiotics. Anyway, not saying you should go that far with your bird but mine survived and not not only that, she is my best layer. It was worth the trouble her wound caused to save her. We love her! Good luck with your chicken.