Injured Chick Need Help UPDATED

[Mommy2Blaze]

Ok I heard my big wyandotte chicks going nuts and went to check on them and one of them had tried to get the wire top off the container and got it's neck caught on the wire and ripped a big place open on the back of it's neck. It was flopping around like it couldn't walk or anything. I can't see that anything is broke, I just think it was in shock so I got it out and wrapped it in a towel so I could see what was wrong and that is when I found the wound. I have never had chickens before so I just did what I thought was best. I sprayed the wound with neosporin spray and he is still wrapped up asleep in a shoebox by my feet now. He isn't panting and acting crazy anymore and is calm. Did I do the right thing? Is there anything else I should do?

 

[Mommy2Blaze]

can someone please tell me what to do. I am sorry. I am not trying to be rude i promise. I am just worried that I should be doing more for the little guy(?) you know.

 

[JuicyFatHead]

I think you did the right thing! At least it's what I would have done. I think the best thing is to keep her isolated and quiet until she is healed. It doesn't look too deep from what I can tell.. Poor thing! I'm so sorry this happened. Not panting and sleeping I think is a good sign! Once the wound dries and 'scabs over' you'll able to keep it clean easier.. since debris won't stick to it..

 

[Mommy2Blaze]

Thank you so much. You are right, it isn't deep, just skinned. Very gross but not pouring blood or anything. The chick is alert but sleeping. Whenever I or my son comes near it perks up to see what is going on but then relaxes and goes back to sleep. I hope it will be ok.

 

[Mommy2Blaze]

The wound is bigger than it looks in the photos though but I couldn't get a clear shot holding the chick and the camera lol.

 

[JuicyFatHead]

I messaged this person https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/profile.php?id=45777 silver pheonix.. they work at a rehab and have a zillion chickens... maybe they'll message you soon..

Yeah I was thinking it might be a bit bigger because sometimes the skin flaps over you know? If that is the case I would just leave it (IMO). That's a GREAT sign! That she perks up to see what's going on. She's just sleeping off the stress and injury probably. Something I read is great for stressed poultry is the Poult Pak from metzerfarms.com I'm going to give it to my current birds when I add the new chickens to our flock. It has electrolytes etc. I'm not a vet, and it wouldn't hurt to call and double check.. but maybe you can get that locally at your feed store? I heard it's great for supporting their immune system when under stress. But if she's gotten to this size/age I'd say you raised her pretty healthy anyway.

 

[Missouri Chicken Chick]

You did the right thing. The main thing is to watch for any infection. Neosporin is a great thing because it protects it as well as heal it. You definitely need to keep it separated until the injury can't be seen because the other birds will immediately go after the injury. Just in case, it might not hurt to give it some Poly-Vi-Sol (vitamins), but that really isn't necessary. It may be a bit "blah" for a few days just because of the shock, etc.

This is a personal preference, but my feeling is try to get it outside for some sun as much as possible. I think it's a great healer, plus if the chicken can do its "chicken thing" (eating grass, scratching for food, etc.), I think that's the best medicine. Just be sure that it has someplace to go in the shade as well as the sunshine.

I hope it all works out.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

You did the right thing! That was good thinking and you likely helped prevent the chick from going into shock.

I think the chick will likely require stitches to heal best. If you can get some sutures and stitch it up yourself, that would be best. It is easy to do, just like sewing up a hole in a piece of clothing. Press the skin together and then sew it so it holds together. Leave a small part open on one of the edges so the wound can drain. You can search on BYC for more information on stitching up wounds in chickens. It sounds scary but I promise it's not that bad! If you are really not comfortable, you can ask a veterinarian or friend if they will do it for you. Keep the wound clean and keep using disinfectant on it and cleaning it out to prevent infection.

Good luck! Poor chick. You can give Aspirin to chickens for pain management, too--search BYC to find the dosage. I can't remember it offhand, sorry!

 

[Missouri Chicken Chick]

As far as the depth of the injury and needing stitches, I have had a lot of luck with butterfly bandages. They stick really well to the base of the feathers and will hold skin together really well. Then as the injury heals, they will just naturally fall off with the growth of the feathers, etc. If they don't fall off, they are easily cut off from feather growth.

If you think it's deep enough, I agree that you should do a bit of reading on this web site and you will find lots of information about doing sutures.

 

[Tres Amigas]

Poor baby! Have no practical experience to offer, but it sounds like you're doing all the right things. Does baby have access to some water? I just finished reading an update on here about a hen who was scalped and is making an excellent recovery - the word "scalped" is in the title - search it. She was horribly (*shudder*) injured and is healing nicely. Good luck with your lil sweetie.