Injured hen! Puncture wound and scrapes

[Debs55]

I came home to this today

She also has a cut around her neck. There is no damage to the pen or other chickens. I have no idea what happened. I cleaned the wound with diluted peroxide and warm water then put neoaporin on it. I didn't put any in the puncture wound. Should I? She is eating and drinking but doesn't seem to be able to put weight on one leg

 

[etammy]

Ouch! could be from the other chickens, did she have any missing feathers there before this? is she low in rank? Or is there a break in the pen somewere, even larger holes in chicken wire can allow a rat, possum, ect to reach in and hold her to the side of the pen and try to eat her. So check your coop and make sure it really is secure. She should recover, keep her away from the others looking like that, they will attack her and could kill her. Don't put her with the others without supervision until she is at least skined over, better if you can protect her until her feathers grow back. The other hens will now be attracted to the new feather growth and may continue to pluck her new feathers out, I have been throught this, so keep her separate, you could section off an area in the coop once the blood and scabs are gone to allow her to be with the others, but not close enough to get hurt until she feathers out. Just keep her safe and clean and I am sure will recover

 

[Debs55]

There is no way this was cause by another chicken. And no there are no holes in the pen or any evidence that something was in there. I think something grabbed her through the fence. I'm just not sure how to treat the puncture wound it's pretty deep. Should I put ointment in it?
Thanks for your reply

 

[etammy]

I would flush out the wound for a few days. Mix one cup warm water with one cup peroxide and flush out the wound. Do not use straight peroxide it can danage the tissues. If you can keep it from getting infected she should do fine

 

[Debs55]

Ok thanks that's what I've been doing. And I've been putting Neosporin on the scrapes

 

[LittleNCFarm]

So sorry for you and especially for your poor girl! Our hens free range, and last year I came home to find one hunkered in to a big patch of long grass, dried blood all over her side. When I lifted her wing, she had two deep puncture wounds like the puncture wound yours has. (Our best guess was that a hawk tried to carry her away and failed.)

I brought her in the house, put her on a towel-covered counter next to the kitchen sink, and cleaned the wounds with lots of warm water first, then I used Q-tips and hydrogen peroxide to gently clean out the wounds as best I could. Finally, I dabbed a little bit of Neosporin in the puncture wounds. Within a few days, she was right as rain, and thankfully no infection set in! I did check her wound-healing progress a few times those first few days.

Don't know if that helps, but I hope so! I agree w/ a previous post...looks like something tried to grab her through the fence. I've read that raccoons will do that.

Much, much luck and healing to you and your girl!

 

[cntrywmnkw]

I would flush the injured area with a very mild solution of warm water & Epsom Salts, this is what my vet recommended to me to do for one of my girls that was attacked by a dog & had a few deep gashes & lost feathers. He said flush the wounds 2 to 3 times a day to keep infections out. Also keep her warm & quiet & separate her from the rest of the flock until she heals & feathers out again.

 

[Debs55]

Thanks guys. I flushed the area with diluted peroxide and warm water yesterday and then dabbed the surface wounds with a cotton ball with peroxide on it. Then rinsed it again with the water solution. Then I put Neosporin on the surface wounds. I cleaned it the same way this morning. I kept her inside overnight then this morning I moved her into my brooder coop with has a pen open and it's tall enough for her to stand and walk around but not fly so she can't break the wounds open. I'm gonna try to clean it twice a day over the weekend and hopefully by Monday ill see some improvement. Thanks for the replies

 

[realsis]

start her on a general antibiotic to promote healing and keep infection down! this should help. best of luck! I'd use a antibiotic like an anti infective such as Galliamycine. or Erythromycine. if she's drinking put the water soulable kind in her drink. if she's not drinking as she should be use injection. this will help her out A LOT! so sorry this happened! Best wishes!

 

[Debs55]

Are you sure? I've read other places that you shouldn't give chickens antibiotics. She is eating and drinking like normal though