Injured bantam

[rw1647]

Just got home and my 23wk OEG hen has an injury on he lower abdomen, near the inside of her leg. Her breathing also sounds a little crackly. I work at a vet's office and we have a chicken very so I'm bringing her into work with me tomorrow but other than keeping her warm and getting food and water into her, anything else I should be doing? She's pretty fluffed up and quiet (quiet is NOT normal for this girl!) but the wound doesn't appear very deep, just like a skin tear, though I didn't want to poke at it too much since she's obviously in pain. I'm offering her some oatmeal with garlic and molasses plus water with a little ACV and have her all set up in a box inside well covered so it's dark. Any other suggestions would be very welcome!

 

[cavemanrich]

You are doing all you can. Any Idea what caused the injury??? predator??? fall??? other chickens attacking???

 

[rw1647]

It looks like she got caught on something... Just one wound i could see and where it is I don't think it would be easy for the other girls to reach, but who knows? I'm hoping she will eat but right now she's just sitting fluffed up in her box. Her comb/wattle color looks OK, and there wasn't a ton of blood but I'm not sure where it happened so I don't know how much she lost. It's looks like a tear in the top layer of skin but it so obviously hurt her I didn't poke at it too much since she seems shocky and didn't need more stress.

 

[cavemanrich]

I think that keeping her inside in warm is the best thing for her recovery. You may not need to take her to work with you if she recovers well on her own .

 

[rw1647]

My biggest concern at the moment is that she doesn't seem to be eating. I think she's really hurting...doesn't want to move and I got an angry glare when I shifted her to peek underneath her to make sure there wasn't more blood (nothing on the blanket so I think the bleeding has stopped). She did poop and I no longer hear any crackling when she breathes ans she's still bright eyed and comb/eye rings still dark pink like normal. If she's not moving around more tomorrow morning though, I'll bring her in, mostly for my peace of mind. One major benefit to working where I work is I had two people I could text as soon as I found her for advice and to calm me down. Didn't help that one of my big girls went AWOL right at the same time (she was down in the window well of my house like a weirdo and only came out after both my partner and I were completely panicked!), so there were lots of frantic messages back and forth. But they told me the same thing: just keep her warm and quiet and see how she is in the AM. I'm a nervous mom- the worst I've dealt with before this was a broken nail!

 

[Eggcessive]

Metacam can be used as well as 1/2 a baby aspirin for pain. Keep her warm, and offer fluids which are more important than food right now. She will probably eat some chopped egg, tuna, or wet feed when she feels better.

 

[rw1647]

Should I try to syringe fluids into her? I have water in there for her but I don't know if she has drank any.

 

[rw1647]

She's looking better this morning... More upright and I saw her drinking and she's feeling up to looking annoyed at me for checking on her so I consider that progress.