Hen Attack from Hawk

[Almo]

One of my hens was attacked by a red tailed hawk yesterday. After reviewing footage, it appears it attacked my hen for a full 20 minutes before I ran outside and scared it away. There are feathers in 3 different areas showing where the tussle took place. Thankfully I do not see any deep wounds on my hens back. Just a lot of missing feathers and some exposed skin that’s probably down to white meat but not bloody. It could have been a lot worse. What can I use to safely treat her wounds?

 

[howdyitsmia]

I can’t help I’m sorry, but it would be a good idea to post this thread in the emergencies/injuries section instead. I hope you figure it out!

 

[Birdie mom]

If they aren't deep then I would probably use bacitracin or some other anti-bacterial cream. Also, you might want to post this in emergencies/diseases forum. The section we are currently chatting in is for things related to the website itself, technical problems and such.

 

[aart]

Pics of wounds would help here.
Is bird eating/drinking?

 

[Almo]

Pics of wounds would help here.
Is bird eating/drinking?

yes she is acting perfectly normal. I kept her and the other hen in their run today. She ran out the coop this morning just as she always does

 

[Isaac 0]

Sorry to hear about your hen. General wound care consist of trimming, or plucking any feathers around the wound to prevent irritation due to them, then, lavaging the wound with saline, or an antiseptic such as chlorhexidine or dilute betadine to dislodge any bacteria or debris. After flushing, an antibacterial ointment can be applied a few times a day as needed to keep the wound surface moist.

 

[Almo]

Pics of wounds would help here.
Is bird eating/drinking?

 

[ChicNmom]

Wow! She's a tough little fighter! So glad she is OK. 20 min is a long time to fight off a hawk. She should heal up nicely with the antibiotic ointment. So glad she is eating and drinking OK too.

 

[Almo]

Wow! She's a tough little fighter! So glad she is OK. 20 min is a long time to fight off a hawk. She should heal up nicely with the antibiotic ointment. So glad she is eating and drinking OK too.

thank you! Yes she has always had a little spark in her. She laid her eggs the past 2 days right on schedule

 

[aart]

All the way thru the skin.
Keep it moist with the ointment.
Clear any feathers away from/out of the wound.
At least it's a bit protected under the wing.