Hen's Head Wound - Pics and Progress, Advice Welcome

[Wendy Bee]

We have a young flock, about 16-17 weeks old, 8 hens, 2 roos (both Ameraucanas), and the roos have really been feeling their oats. One was really rough on one of our Black Australorps and ripped part of the back of her head/neck open pretty badly. Hopefully a fluke - all of the other hens are in good condition.

It happened Friday night, while hubby and I were at a friend's memorial service, so I couldn't be the one to tend to or see the wound right after it happened. I instructed the 17-year-old to spray an antiseptic wound spray (details below) on her and try to dress it with gauze and vet tape (which lasted about 4 seconds) and I'd have to look at it the next day.

Yeah, pretty nasty looking, poor thing . Saturday we sprayed antiseptic spray on it morning and evening, and separated the roos from the hens (hens in the coop, roos in the run with the pop door closed). The pic above is Sunday morning. I sprayed the spray on her and then put Golden Seal powder from a capsule on it. She wasn't very agreeable, so this is the best I could do and it looked like this:

Later in the day the Golden Seal had held up pretty well. We kept an eye on her and the roos, and they left her alone for the most part. I resprayed and Golden Sealed again that night and separated the hens and roos again for the night. I forgot to take a pic of her head this morning, but here it is after I dressed it - this time I mixed triple antibiotic and the Golden Seal and applied after spraying with the antiseptic spray. This is the spray I've been using (looked up all the ingredients on the spray and they seem to be okay for chickens, though not labeled that way - have had great success with this stuff with other animals' wounds, from hot spots to burst abscesses and fight wounds):

And she looked like this, but it didn't last long. Hot day and it just kind of melted away, lol:

She evidently dust-bathed today and it looked like this this evening:

I flushed it with the antiseptic spray and applied just Golden Seal powder and here's where we are tonight, with the hens in the coop again; roos in the run for the night:

Due to the location of the wound, we can't really dress it. Maybe if she had a chin, lol!

So how are we doing?

She's eating, drinking, and socializing well with others in the flock. The wound has no odor.

Anything we're doing wrong? Anything else we could/should be doing?

Oh, and yesterday, we got our FIRST EGGS! Four yesterday, two today!

Our chickens work, lol !

Thanks, all, for any input!

~Wendy Bee

 

[Meandmyhens3]

We have a young flock, about 16-17 weeks old, 8 hens, 2 roos (both Ameraucanas), and the roos have really been feeling their oats. One was really rough on one of our Black Australorps and ripped part of the back of her head/neck open pretty badly. Hopefully a fluke - all of the other hens are in good condition.

It happened Friday night, while hubby and I were at a friend's memorial service, so I couldn't be the one to tend to or see the wound right after it happened. I instructed the 17-year-old to spray an antiseptic wound spray (details below) on her and try to dress it with gauze and vet tape (which lasted about 4 seconds) and I'd have to look at it the next day.

View attachment 2792132

Yeah, pretty nasty looking, poor thing . Saturday we sprayed antiseptic spray on it morning and evening, and separated the roos from the hens (hens in the coop, roos in the run with the pop door closed). The pic above is Sunday morning. I sprayed the spray on her and then put Golden Seal powder from a capsule on it. She wasn't very agreeable, so this is the best I could do and it looked like this:

View attachment 2792137

Later in the day the Golden Seal had held up pretty well. We kept an eye on her and the roos, and they left her alone for the most part. I resprayed and Golden Sealed again that night and separated the hens and roos again for the night. I forgot to take a pic of her head this morning, but here it is after I dressed it - this time I mixed triple antibiotic and the Golden Seal and applied after spraying with the antiseptic spray. This is the spray I've been using (looked up all the ingredients on the spray and they seem to be okay for chickens, though not labeled that way - have had great success with this stuff with other animals' wounds, from hot spots to burst abscesses and fight wounds):

View attachment 2792144
View attachment 2792156

And she looked like this, but it didn't last long. Hot day and it just kind of melted away, lol:

View attachment 2792146

She evidently dust-bathed today and it looked like this this evening:

View attachment 2792148

I flushed it with the antiseptic spray and applied just Golden Seal powder and here's where we are tonight, with the hens in the coop again; roos in the run for the night:

View attachment 2792149

Due to the location of the wound, we can't really dress it. Maybe if she had a chin, lol!

So how are we doing?

She's eating, drinking, and socializing well with others in the flock. The wound has no odor.

Anything we're doing wrong? Anything else we could/should be doing?

Oh, and yesterday, we got our FIRST EGGS! Four yesterday, two today!

View attachment 2792164
Our chickens work, lol !

Thanks, all, for any input!

~Wendy Bee

Yikes! I’ve never seen a wound like that, you seem to be doing really well though! As long as it seems to be healing nicely, is kept clean, and no infection manifests your doing the best you can do besides bringing her to the vet which I know isn’t always possible or accessible for everyone. If anything it may take a while to heal but if she keeps eating and drinking and doesn’t suddenly become lethargic I think she’ll be just fine even if that wound does look pretty gnarly!

 

[Wendy Bee]

Day 4, before re-spraying and applying more Golden Seal:

After spraying, applying Golden Seal, spraying again, and applying Golden Seal again (I found doing layers make it stay on better):

These two girls have the coop and the run to themselves today - the roos and the rest of the hens are outside. Hens will be in the coop again tonight with the roos camping out in the run. Wounded hen doesn't even seem phased - she's behaving perfectly normal.

Such a big wound . . . hoping for the best .

 

[Meandmyhens3]

Day 4, before re-spraying and applying more Golden Seal:

View attachment 2793028

After spraying, applying Golden Seal, spraying again, and applying Golden Seal again (I found doing layers make it stay on better):

View attachment 2793036

View attachment 2793038

These two girls have the coop and the run to themselves today - the roos and the rest of the hens are outside. Hens will be in the coop again tonight with the roos camping out in the run. Wounded hen doesn't even seem phased - she's behaving perfectly normal.

View attachment 2793042



Such a big wound . . . hoping for the best .

It isn’t looking any worse, you seem to be doing well. Hang in there! That goes for you and your lil hen

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It should heal up fine.

What are you going to do with the 2 cockerels? I suggest that you separate them until they mature (oh...when about a year or so old), then if you want fertile eggs, choose one rooster and place him with the hens. See how he behaves. If he's got a nasty disposition with the ladies, then try the other. If both are not behaved, then cull.

2 roosters = competition. Hens/pullets get hurt and abused.
Rooster can live by themselves.
I keep roosters by themselves and only put them with hens when I want to hatch eggs. No stressed hens and less likely for them to have injuries.

And no, I'm not being harsh, not being snarky...I've had that happen a few times, more than should have happened. Lesson learned at the price of injured hens. No more. A rooster that is abusive gets culled, no ifs ands or buts.

My 2¢

 

[Eggcessive]

When chickens get these wounds on the back of the neck and head from a rooster or being pecked by older mean hens, I would use 2% chlorhexidene or Vetericyn on the wound, followed by plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment twice daily. Normally it would be best to separate the wounded hen in a wire dog crate, and keep away from any flies. It seems like she is doing okay and healing. I would separate the cockerels for sure.

 

[Wendy Bee]

When chickens get these wounds on the back of the neck and head from a rooster or being pecked by older mean hens, I would use 2% chlorhexidene or Vetericyn on the wound, followed by plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment twice daily. Normally it would be best to separate the wounded hen in a wire dog crate, and keep away from any flies. It seems like she is doing okay and healing. I would separate the cockerels for sure.

It should heal up fine.

What are you going to do with the 2 cockerels? I suggest that you separate them until they mature (oh...when about a year or so old), then if you want fertile eggs, choose one rooster and place him with the hens. See how he behaves. If he's got a nasty disposition with the ladies, then try the other. If both are not behaved, then cull.

2 roosters = competition. Hens/pullets get hurt and abused.
Rooster can live by themselves.
I keep roosters by themselves and only put them with hens when I want to hatch eggs. No stressed hens and less likely for them to have injuries.

And no, I'm not being harsh, not being snarky...I've had that happen a few times, more than should have happened. Lesson learned at the price of injured hens. No more. A rooster that is abusive gets culled, no ifs ands or buts.

My 2¢

The spray I'm using is chlorhexidine based. It's so hot here this week that antibiotic ointment slides right off during the day, lol, so Golden Seal seems to keep a good chlorhexidine soaking in place. I've been doing triple antibiotic ointment with Golden Seal mixed in at night, when it's not so hot.

I've been keeping the two Black Australorp hens in the coop/run and the rest of the crew outside during the day. The hens in the coop with the pop door closed and the roos in the run at night. Not one has pecked at her head/neck that I've seen, and the wound seems undisturbed when I tend to it. One of my kids has baby quail hatching in the house this week, and Penguin (the wounded hen) seems to be doing okay outside and is happy, so we'll go with how it is for now.

The Golden Seal seems to keep flies from the wound - it's dry during the day, there is no odor at all, and there is no 'meat' showing. At night, she has the ointment, but in this hot weather, has been roosting in the breeze of a fan, so no flies have been bothering her. I'm watching for them, though!

The roos - Stormy is a great rooster. Herds and watches over his hens really well and isn't too rough on the hens. Charlie. We're pretty sure Charlie is the offending roo. He's been doing better this week, though, and doing a dance around the hens instead of just jumping on them. And while Stormy tends to be the protector and dominant roo, Charlie seems to be the peace-keeper when the hens get into a spat. But then today I saw him just grab one by the neck, so . . . I'm hoping he settles. He's a good boy and full of personality - but we can't have him roughing up the girls. We also have a standard Poodle mix who we're slowly letting be around the flock as they free range and he doesn't take any guff from the roos, so we'll see how it goes.

It's warm weather, so I can keep the roos separate in the run until we open the pop door in the mornings. I put the roos out first, then all the hens but the Australorps, then tend to Penguin's wound.

Charlie started chasing and pecking at my feet a couple of weeks ago - he went from sweet to WTH?! I've used the methods in this video (

) and he's doing MUCH better, but we still keep our eyes on each other, . When I'm working around the yard he tends to lurk, ha. He likes to run after our 12 year old as she rides her bike on our very long driveway with a circle. Looks kind of like a Benny Hill video, lol . Also wears him out!

We'll get 6 more hens in the late winter to add to the flock and bring up the hen/roo ratio.

Hope Charlie matures and lasts that long.

Thanks, all!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Good luck!

 

[Wendy Bee]

Our wounded girl is continuing to heal up - cell regeneration is an amazing thing! I think Golden seal has been my secret weapon along with the chlorhexidine-based spray. The yellow powder seems to deter curious pecking by others and keeps the surface of the hen's head dry, deterring flies. This was yesterday before treatment:

Encouraging!

 

[Wendy Bee]

Penguin has almost completely healed up! Feathers are filling in nicely .

In appx. six week's time, she went from this:

To this:

Success found with these:

More just the spray and Goldenseal - the antibiotic ointment tended to just slide off her head in the heat of the summer.

Happy chickens!