Hurt hen! Please help me help her.

[smoore7489]

Found her like this this morning. Not sure if done by a predator or the flock but I'm fairly certain its a predator. I saw her sleeping by the door last night. Please help me. How should I clean and bandage it? I know to keep her seperated until she heals. And then slowly reintroduce her. I dont want to loose one of my babies. Ill do about anything but I think this can be done at home. The injury doesnt seem so severe and shes eating and drinking normally and not lethargic.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Maybe a raccoon. They (and others) like to grab by the head.
Flush the wound with saline solution to clean it out. Then use betadine. Then an eye type triple antibiotic ointment. The eye type melts at body temperature so it seeps deep into the wound.
Chickens are tough and she should pull through.
I wouldn't bandage it.
Good for her for escaping the inexperienced killer.
You can also use some Campho Phenique which is an antiseptic and pain reliever. Also perhaps a baby aspirin mixed in her water.

 

[Rubysword]

Also, figure out how it got her! You don't want it to happen again, when the predator has learned form it's mistakes and will kill it.

 

[smoore7489]

Can i use triple antibiotic ointment on her till i can get all other things? We have only one car so i am home until later tonight.

I am planning to fix door today after i treat her. I definitely dont want this happening again. I saw my dog was very alert so I think she helped scare off the predator and save this one's life.

 

[smoore7489]

Oh and can i flush out with hydrogen peroxide?

 

[Rubysword]

I'd not. It is so close to her eye, and I feel like that wouldn't be good for her eye if it fell into it.

 

[Rivington]

We have been dealing with a wound and I was advised to use peroxide just once to deal with any bacteria that may have been introduced by the predator, but not to use it on an ongoing basis. See here: Extended hawk attack and large open wound - what treatment? You may want to be cautious since it is close to the eye or if you don't feel it is too deep.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Hydrogen peroxide will damage new cells slowing healing.
If you have table salt, you can make saline solution.
Flush with that and then the triple antibiotic ointment till you can get the betadine.
Any drugstore carries all the things I suggested.

 

[apryl29]

Hydrogen peroxide usually does more harm than good. I was told by an ER dr not to use it b/c it actually washes away new skin cells. Saline solution (NOT the kind you use for contact lenses!) is better to use for cleaning a wound. They have them in an aerosol can, and I would avoid that kind if at all possible it has a lot of pressure and I used it on my cockerel's tail and he did not appreciate it. If you can't find any that isn't in the can consider spraying it into a cup and pouring it on or putting it into a squirt bottle.

 

[smoore7489]

Hydrogen peroxide will damage new cells slowing healing.
If you have table salt, you can make saline solution.
Flush with that and then the triple antibiotic ointment till you can get the betadine.
Any drugstore carries all the things I suggested.

Thank you. What ratio of water to table salt. I have filtered bottle water for it.