hen hit by hawk

[eneick17]

hi all,
one of my pullets, about 15 almost 16 weeks, was nailed by a hawk about 8 hours ago, she suffered a nasty wound just below her throat. she was pretty tired and i cleaned out her wound and put hen saver on it. it was blue in nature and made her already blueish feathers bluer. any way she has been having trouble walking around recently, she only seems content if she is wrapped up in a towel on my lap. has anyone had a similar issue or circumstance? I figure that if she makes it past 48 hours she will survive her wounds.
i am more concerned about her back and inability to walk. she kicks out her legs but can't seem to get them under herself. any advice would be greatly appreciated.
eneick17

 

[Granny Hatchet]

normally when something like that happens they will go into shock and shock can kill them. The best place for her IS wrapped in a towel in your lap. LOL No, really. she should be put in a cage to herself in a darkened room that is warm. Then check her injury's tomorrow.

 

[eneick17]

she can stand up today and is able to take wobbly steps. she is eating and drinking much better today than yesterday.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

great news ! They are remarkable healers. Keep her alone til that cut is healed.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

No advice, just wanted to say I hope she is healing! Glad it sounds like she is doing better.

 

[MonicaWA]

My husband has kept homing pigeons for over 30 years. We had one once that was sliced in the breast and upward. She leaked water when she drank. I helped my husband super glue the wound together carefully. She healed and lived a normal life span. Maybe you can give a course of antibiotics to keep infection from setting in. Yes, keep her separated and quiet, with plenty of warmth/food/water.

 

[sbhkma]

If it were me (and 4 years ago it was-only coyote attack) I'd keep her in the house. I'd worry about flystrike on that wound. Keeping her inside gives her a stable temperature and you can keep a close eye on her to make sure she's eating and drinking. I'd also put some manuka honey on the wound to help it heal. Once it's healing well, a re-introduction to the flock will probably be necessary, but it's better than keeping her outside & hoping for the best in my opinion.

 

[eneick17]

i was worried about fly strike too, she is currently inside in our dogs kennel that we haven't used recently. needless to say the dog is a bit jealous that this bird is getting more attention than she is. I took a better look at her wound again and is more of a big skin wound than any depth. her muscles and blood vessels are fine. I was thinking about super gluing or closing the wound with a duck tape cross stitch, maybe with a drain opening to prevent fluid build up.

her back is doing better, she is grooming herself and pulling off her bandages. . but overall she is eating much better and is trying to walk around the cage better. the scratches are better overall on her back, again a superficial wound. I have been cleaning it and coating it with the hen healer (the only version of blu cot that I could find, got it two days earlier.) she has been gravitating to the side of the cage that is closest to the door, i think she wants to be a free chicken. im not letting her out until her wound is pretty much completely healed, barely a wobble, and has no swelling. which means we are going to have an indoor chicken until further notice.

thank you guys for your help and advice!
eneick17

 

[eneick17]

Here she is, all annoyed with me.

 

[sbhkma]

She looks great