Hello,
These are my MIL's chickens, we live in the same house, but she does most of the care. I noticed a hen nesting alone in the coup with some dirty-looking feathers.
Upon closer inspection, she has a large circular wound on her side, below her wing, where I can see the flesh. It's hard to gauge the size with the feathers, but it is larger than a quarter.
The skin around the wound is hard to see, as in its a very thin outline. Looks dark grey/black, but I'm not sure, could be the down feathers wet.
There is no blood, no pus, no bad smell, no torn muscle or fat, no disheveled feathers except in the immediate area. She let me lift her wing, gently move feathers out of the way of the wound. Didn't make a sound or any sudden movements/expressions.
She laid an egg right then when I was looking, but then stood up and walked around. Pecked/scratched for food, drank water when offered.
I set up a dog crate with some towels, clean straw, a bowl with chicken electrolyte mix, and some feed in a tray, in a separate shed. She'd been there for the past 3 days. MIL said she'd pick up genetian violet spray, but hasn't, and doesn't want to pay for a vet (she can afford it easily.)
I'm concerned about the size of the wound, the fact that it I can see flesh, and that my MIL hasn't done anything (as far as I am aware.)
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Barnyard mix hens, no idea specific species. 6-7months old, about 4lbs, hard to say, feels average weight. Reddish brown, some black mottled feathers.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
No limping, no wing droop, not lethargic as far as I can tell. Walks around, eats, poops, drinks water normally.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
I noticed the side wound 3 days ago, but it looks like the wound has been there for longer, perhaps a week?
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
I checked as many of the flock as I could catch, hens and roosters alike, and didn't find anything.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No other signs of trauma, no bleeding, no pus, no foul smell or strange color as far as I can tell.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
It could have been a rooster attack, though a strange spot, under the wing. It could have been scraped or caught on something (cinderblocks, thorny plants, etc), or it could have been an animal attack. I don't know.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
TSC chicken feed mix of pellets, corn, and other seeds, sprinkled with a little bit of probiotic grit mix, any food scraps from the kitchen (like spaghetti, not my idea). Water with electrolyte mix for birds.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Normal/solid, sometimes runny, but no blood, no strange colors.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Isolation from the flock and electrolyte mix. MIL was going to purchase genetian violet spray, but didn't due to concerns of "infertility." She doesn't want to take the hen to vet and thinks it will heal on its own.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Personally, I want to take the hen to the vet due to the size and depth of the wound. We have avian vets nearby, but I would have to pay myself which is an issue depending on the cost. MIL has the money but not the interest.
However, if home care is the only/best option, I want to be able to clean and treat the wound effectively until it heals. I have saline spray, antibiotic + pain relief ointment (for humans), gabapentin pills for cats (I know dosage is complex), alcohol (painful), hydrogen peroxide, medical bandages if needed, and other first-aid materials.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Pictures here
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Coup is straw and some nesting material (dirty, needs to be replaced with fresh straw), free range in a grassy area, some forest under brush. Isolated housing is a large dog crate with 1/2 folded towels and 1/2 clean straw, a bowl of water and food tray, in a separate shed.
These are my MIL's chickens, we live in the same house, but she does most of the care. I noticed a hen nesting alone in the coup with some dirty-looking feathers.
Upon closer inspection, she has a large circular wound on her side, below her wing, where I can see the flesh. It's hard to gauge the size with the feathers, but it is larger than a quarter.
The skin around the wound is hard to see, as in its a very thin outline. Looks dark grey/black, but I'm not sure, could be the down feathers wet.
There is no blood, no pus, no bad smell, no torn muscle or fat, no disheveled feathers except in the immediate area. She let me lift her wing, gently move feathers out of the way of the wound. Didn't make a sound or any sudden movements/expressions.
She laid an egg right then when I was looking, but then stood up and walked around. Pecked/scratched for food, drank water when offered.
I set up a dog crate with some towels, clean straw, a bowl with chicken electrolyte mix, and some feed in a tray, in a separate shed. She'd been there for the past 3 days. MIL said she'd pick up genetian violet spray, but hasn't, and doesn't want to pay for a vet (she can afford it easily.)
I'm concerned about the size of the wound, the fact that it I can see flesh, and that my MIL hasn't done anything (as far as I am aware.)
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Barnyard mix hens, no idea specific species. 6-7months old, about 4lbs, hard to say, feels average weight. Reddish brown, some black mottled feathers.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
No limping, no wing droop, not lethargic as far as I can tell. Walks around, eats, poops, drinks water normally.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
I noticed the side wound 3 days ago, but it looks like the wound has been there for longer, perhaps a week?
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
I checked as many of the flock as I could catch, hens and roosters alike, and didn't find anything.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No other signs of trauma, no bleeding, no pus, no foul smell or strange color as far as I can tell.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
It could have been a rooster attack, though a strange spot, under the wing. It could have been scraped or caught on something (cinderblocks, thorny plants, etc), or it could have been an animal attack. I don't know.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
TSC chicken feed mix of pellets, corn, and other seeds, sprinkled with a little bit of probiotic grit mix, any food scraps from the kitchen (like spaghetti, not my idea). Water with electrolyte mix for birds.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Normal/solid, sometimes runny, but no blood, no strange colors.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Isolation from the flock and electrolyte mix. MIL was going to purchase genetian violet spray, but didn't due to concerns of "infertility." She doesn't want to take the hen to vet and thinks it will heal on its own.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Personally, I want to take the hen to the vet due to the size and depth of the wound. We have avian vets nearby, but I would have to pay myself which is an issue depending on the cost. MIL has the money but not the interest.
However, if home care is the only/best option, I want to be able to clean and treat the wound effectively until it heals. I have saline spray, antibiotic + pain relief ointment (for humans), gabapentin pills for cats (I know dosage is complex), alcohol (painful), hydrogen peroxide, medical bandages if needed, and other first-aid materials.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Pictures here
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Coup is straw and some nesting material (dirty, needs to be replaced with fresh straw), free range in a grassy area, some forest under brush. Isolated housing is a large dog crate with 1/2 folded towels and 1/2 clean straw, a bowl of water and food tray, in a separate shed.
