I ripped off my chicken's neck meat!!!!

[Fudgie]

We had a hen get attacked by our labrador, he ripped her skin but not the meat, I stitched her up and kept her inside away from the others for about 3 days, she healed nicely.

as to wiggling and such, she did not make a move the WHOLE time I was stitching. There were a bunch that needed done, on her leg, and her back. She was an eggcellent patient!

 

[Salt and Light]

WOW! Great information!!

I just got home from work a little bit ago. The hen is still alive but she does not seem to be eating. She had flown up to the roost and when I offered her some scrambled eggs, she turned away.

Yesterday evening, I just laid the flap of skin back on the neck. I'm sure it will not take but I haven't had time to look very closely.

I am able to spend more time with the hen tomorrow.

Any more suggestions?

 

[nzpouter]

if you haven't stitch it up by now, the skin is probably to dry and dead to work with..... best to cut it off.

Keep her in a separate cage in a warmer room, antibiotic and hope she makes it.

 

[Suellyn]

Can you bring her inside for heat, supportive care, antibiotics, etc. tonight?

That way you will also be sure of how much she is eating, drinking, pooping.

I would check the wound before tomorrow (infected/draining? skin looking alive/dead? still hanging?).

I am not trying to be "pushy", but birds can go downhill QUICKLY, and it has already been over 24 hrs, and she hasn't really been evaluated or treated, or am I reading the situation incorrectly?

Other than looking at her when it first happened & placing skin back as best you could, and offering her some scrambled eggs today, did you do any of the suggested treatments/care yet?

It's probably too late to suture her now, the wound is over 24 hrs old, hanging tissue is probably dying.

 

[Salt and Light]

Quote:
I have done only what I've written. The skin appears to be holding on the underlying tissue. Should I force her to drink water? The other birds are not picking at her and think she will be more stressed by being isolated.

 

[redhen]

okay, i'm sorry, i am going to be the one to say it..

...it really dosent seem to bother you very much!...i can understand, and i DO believe that you felt sorry that she was injured...that i DO believe...BUT..why have you not even brought her in the house..why have you not put any medicine on the wound (at least), or a bandage of ANY kind? why have you not done anything for her.

...what is it EXACTLY that you want us to tell you? maybe, give the poor animal some care? bandage the wound at the very least...sorry,

do something for the animal please...or i really dont see the point of this thread...

 

[Suellyn]

Just checking in to see if she is still alive...

Oh, & yes they can get stressed when seperated, but often the benefit of rest & treatment outweighs the negatives, esp if pretty severely sick or injured. If minor problem, then probably not worth the stress...

A "happy medium" may be confine in a dog crate or something, with supplemental heat, but still in coop (familiar area with her "buddies" still around, but able to monitor & treat)...

It IS important to keep her drinking (even moreso than eating), but for her particular injury I don't think it could be "forced" without further damage to neck. Confined with water/pedialyte or diluted gatorade probably better.

Updates?

And honestly, if doing worse or suffering, and not going to be treated, then killing her quickly may be kinder. Not trying to give you a hard time, but if not motivated or unable to treat, it just seems better to "end it" IMO.

Good luck.

 

[klf73]

Quote:
I agree, you asked for suggestions but haven't seemed to really treat the bird. I think the most humane thing is to probably just cull so she doesn't suffer

hope all is well

 

[Salt and Light]

I wanted to revive this old thread to say that my chicken with the ripped neck meat is doing fine. Chickens are amazing animals because I never did anything for the chicken and it recovered fine. Oh, it has a bare neck on one side, looks like a 1/2 Turken, but the chick has no problems and returned to laying eggs.

 

[shay20]

ahhh thats good that she is doing great.
i had a promblem with a qial, another qiual torn off the skin from her head that you can see the vein moveing, i was scared to touch it that i would hurt her.

i got advice from here to just put her in a warm place by herself and leave it alone, just make sure it drinks and eats and no flys go near it. with 2 days you can see the improvment.
so with no help on the head she recovered great.