Injured Hen

[ktwebb]

Yesterday I found one of my RIR’s hiding under a pallet when I let them out to free range for the evening. She came out with the rest of the flock, and I immediately saw she was injured..right on her back, about a 2.5” hole I believe to be from a hawk (nearly a perfect circular wound). It’s all the way through the muscle, down to her bone/back. No signs of entry around the fence, so I assume it was something attacked her from above. I live in the country with multiple predators. Hawks, fox, Coyote, raccoons, opposums, etc. It had to have happened during daylight hours because there is no sign of a scuffle inside their coop where they roost at night. I’ve got her separated inside my shop for now…I cleaned the wound real good and left her overnight with some antibiotic ointment…planning on getting some more ointment to continue treatment, and possibly some Vetericyn. New to doctoring chickens so any help would be appreciated. She acted sore, but still scratched and fed with the rest of the flock. Since cleaning her and putting her up in the shop, she is pretty well docile and staying in the same spot. I want to give her a chance, but also will put her down if the damage is too much to recover from. Any advice? Antibiotics? Keep it clean and covered with ointment? Keep the wound sprayed with. Vetericyn?

Also, randomly, inside my enclosed chicken run (they have access to the open top run into the enclosed run) I had another RIR dead, found the same time as the injured one. Zero signs of any trauma. My belief is during a panic, she may have ran into the fence/coop or flew into it and killed herself? Just odd cause there is no exterior signs of any damage to her.
Thanks

 

[Emma_Bruffy]

Just keep her separate and keep the wound clean, I had a hen with her entire thigh skinned and she healed in a month

 

[ktwebb]

Just got home and checked her. Her poop is runny/snotty. She still seems alert. I cleaned the wound, applied antibiotic ointment, and sprayed it down with Vetericyn. Topped it off with gauze that I sprayed down with more Vetericyn, and then wrapped with vet wrap. She drank while I was down there. I’ve added some hydro hen to her water. Not sure if she has ate any. New dad with a full time job, so I don’t have the time to tend to her multiple times throughout the day. I’ll do what I can for her and hope for the best!

 

[Eggcessive]

With chicken wounds I would either use the Vetericyn first or a good disinfectant such as chlorhexidene or Hibiclens from the drug store, and then apply the antibiotics ointment twice a day. Then no dressing is required, and the wound can be left open to air. A dog crate with puppy pads or a towel for bedding is good. She cannbe inside the copp with friends, but inside a crate so they will not peck her wounds would help. The lungs are up near the back. Is she having any trouble breathing? Hawks hit with a lot of velocity, so hopefully she doesn’t have any internal injuries. Many chickens will eat moistened chicken feed in a mash, and a little scrambled egg.

 

[ktwebb]

She hasn’t shown any signs of difficulty breathing…I also haven’t seen any signs of any damage into the chest cavity (from the back side)…I may try offering a separate bowl with docent chicken feed like you mentioned. As for now, I’ll continue to keep her inside my shop out of the elements/temperature changes. Where I live, it currently can fluctuate from the 30’s to the 80’s from one day to the next. May reintroduce in a crate back into her coop if she starts to heal up.

 

[ktwebb]

She is eating a little feed watered down into a mash. Still seems alert. Cleaned the wound this morning and reapplied Vetericyn and antibiotic ointment. I and leaving it open like you mentioned Eggcessive.
Is there anything y’all would suggest to help prevent Flies? I haven’t seen any signs of flies yet, just don’t want to skip out on something that would help prevent them.

Here is a most recent look at her…

 

[Eggcessive]

Are flies an issue there now? If flies are around, it can cause flystrike or maggot infestation. The neosporin can help keep them off. Permethrin 10 spray concentrate added to water can be used in the coop to keep them away for 30 days. Usually here we don’t see that many flies until warm weather sets in in summer. Keeping the bedding stirred and dry daily can help prevent flies as well.

 

[ktwebb]

As of right now, flies are not an issue. I have her isolated inside my shop, so she isn’t out in the coop with the rest of the flock at the moment. I’ll just do my best keeping it clean and continue to treat with antibiotic ointment and Vetericyn.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would keep her and the rest of the flock familiar with each other with supervised visits often. Dog crates are great for that purpose. That way, she won’t seem like a stranger and get pecked when she rejoins the flock when she is healed.

 

[ktwebb]

Update: so far so good I reckon. Still no signs of infection…daily cleaning and a combo of Vetericyn and antibiotic ointment..she has ate a couple scrambled eggs, and today was the first day I have seen her eat her feed (grower feed, because I had just started to transition the adults over to grower in preparation of moving some new youngsters in with them). But I figure it’s good news either way to see her eating feed! Not much water consumption, but I can tell she is drinking a little. Overall she seems to just be hanging out. Hopefully she is on the right track and stays that way.

I’ll add, I’ve noticed she has a sort of tick where she kinda halfway yawns. Not sure if that means anything or not, just a behavior I’ve seen while tending to her over the past few days.

Fingers crossed!