Injuries... plz help

[Mamagirl3]

You need more qualified folks than me. It's hard to tell how deep it is in the pic, but it looks very deep. How are they breathing now? Any clicking or rattling when they breathe?

@azygous
@Eggcessive
@Wyorp Rock

No the black girl isnt breathing with her mouth open anymore.. and occasionally closes her eyes.. then in a few minutes they pop back open.
The white one still cant stand... but when she. Hears my voice she stretches her head up as best she can to see me above the box.
We are in process of making them place to be together to bed them down for the night.
But i think this skin needs to be pulled together on her back. I realize there are probably important things injured it is a mess down in there.. but just to close it seems the right thing to do??
Guess i could just get it moist with saline and spray antibiotic on it and cover with nonstick dressing over night and close it in the morning if she is still alive???? I have squawled my eyes out!!

 

[Aunt Angus]

No the black girl isnt breathing with her mouth open anymore.. and occasionally closes her eyes.. then in a few minutes they pop back open.
The white one still cant stand... but when she. Hears my voice she stretches her head up as best she can to see me above the box.
We are in process of making them place to be together to bed them down for the night.
But i think this skin needs to be pulled together on her back. I realize there are probably important things injured it is a mess down in there.. but just to close it seems the right thing to do??
Guess i could just get it moist with saline and spray antibiotic on it and cover with nonstick dressing over night and close it in the morning if she is still alive???? I have squawled my eyes out!!

Wounds usually close themselves. The general treatment is to clean it with warm water or saline or hibiclens, etc. and slather it with antibiotic ointment without dressing it, making sure not to let it dry out while healing.

 

[Eggcessive]

The sugar to water ratio is 1 tsp sugar to each 8 ounce cup of water. You can also use electrolytes with vitamins or Gatorade. Leave the wounds open if possible, after cleaning with saline, chlorhexidene or weak Betadine. Plain Neosporin ointment may be put over the wounds when dry enough. If you cover them just use something light, such as an old clean Tshirt or underwear as a vest. An old towel can be used as bedding so that pine shavings don’t get into the wound. It is hard to know if there is any internal injuries, but chickens can heal from those wounds.

 

[Mamagirl3]

Wounds usually close themselves. The general treatment is to clean it with warm water or saline or hibiclens, etc. and slather it with antibiotic ointment without dressing it, making sure not to let it dry out while healing.

The skin is there... part of it is on either side of wound... what to do with all that skin if not pulled back together? Some places are gone, but most of skin is there. We dont think she will make it. Getting it all cleaned up and putting antibiotic on it etc... can see a laceration across the top of her right kidney. And looks like a puncture wound down into the spine... maybe hitting spinal cord is why she cant sit or stand???

The one with the punctur wounds is sitting up great, seems alert again, but when she tries to stand she cant. If i pick her up and put her down to stand.. she really tries to stand.. but her legs just collapse? Not sure what that means??
We are devastated! We have gotten way too attached to our chix and it breaks our hearts when things happen to them!!

 

[Eggcessive]

A wound from a dog bite is dirty, and you don’t not want to close it without a vet. It probably would abscess. If the one who had the bite into her spinal area continues not to stand, then you might consider taking her to the vet or putting her down. These things are always different in every case. Some chickens will have the worst imaginable wounds that heal fine, while some with hardly a scratch may die. Time will tell. Make aure they both can reach water and food, or offer it to them. Propping them up with rolled towels or using a chicken sling chair for the one who cannot stand might be an option. Here is a good link with pictures of homemade sling chairs,,especially post 5, 11, and 12:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Good advice from @Eggcessive

I'm sorry to hear your hens have been injured

 

[Mamagirl3]

A wound from a dog bite is dirty, and you don’t not want to close it without a vet. It probably would abscess. If the one who had the bite into her spinal area continues not to stand, then you might consider taking her to the vet or putting her down. These things are always different in every case. Some chickens will have the worst imaginable wounds that heal fine, while some with hardly a scratch may die. Time will tell. Make aure they both can reach water and food, or offer it to them. Propping them up with rolled towels or using a chicken sling chair for the one who cannot stand might be an option. Here is a good link with pictures of homemade sling chairs,,especially post 5, 11, and 12:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

I only had one antibiotic on hand. It is fish-mox. It was recommended to me for leg injury for our boy. So i am giving it once a day as was his dose. He only took it 5 days. How long will i need to give it for her puncture wounds?? And do i stay with once a day?

She is capable of standing on one leg today. The other one she keeps pulled up under her. Hopefully it is just because that is the side with the puncture wounds.... ??
Thank you!

 

[Mamagirl3]

Thank you for all the good advice i got right away. Our jersey girl with the back torn up did not make it. she was such a sweet girl.
now i have questions about my white brahma girl. 1) All of her feathers are gone over her entire back down to only 2 tail feathers left. When i say GONE.. i mean slick.. plucked cleaner than a baking hen ready to go in the oven. Does this mean the quills are gone and she will never grow back feathers? There is no way she can make winter in the coop this "nekkid" ... would a sadle apron even be enough help? It will be some time before she will go back to the others... maybe we can figure something out??
2) she will not eat? She is drinking lots... but wont eat. Tried her normal food and fermented food (which she normally loves) so just now i decided to take her favorite junk food treat to her. Placed 2 raisins in my hand, stretched my hand out in front of her and she grabbed those 2 raisins faster than i could blink. Then started tilting her head side to side looking at me like... THAT IS WHAT I WANT... GIVE ME MORE! I did not give her more.. tried to get her to eat her food... but she doesnt want it?? How long will she live on water only?
She has never been alone, could that be why she wont eat? And i worry she will get too lonely! Thanks all!

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry that you lost your black Jersey Giant, but glad to hear the brahma ate some raisins. You might try making some little nuggets of chicken feed, egg, and water. Offer them from your hand. She might think she is getting more raisins. If she won’t take them, try to put one into her beak at a time. Her feathers should grow back after her next molt, but you can post a picture of the feather loss. I have made some one piece hen saddles from polar fleece with slits for wings. They just are held on by those. Mine were similar to the ones in this link:
http://www.linnacresfarm.com/2014/04/how-to-make-simple-hen-saddleapron.html

 

[Mamagirl3]

Sorry that you lost your black Jersey Giant, but glad to hear the brahma ate some raisins. You might try making some little nuggets of chicken feed, egg, and water. Offer them from your hand. She might think she is getting more raisins. If she won’t take them, try to put one into her beak at a time. Her feathers should grow back after her next molt, but you can post a picture of the feather loss. I have made some one piece hen saddles from polar fleece with slits for wings. They just are held on by those. Mine were similar to the ones in this link:
http://www.linnacresfarm.com/2014/04/how-to-make-simple-hen-saddleapron.html

Thank you for quick fix saddle! Would sweatshirt fabric be good? Pulled out a few sweats from grandson last year.. too small, were hardly worn ..maybe 2 or 3 times. Have them in chair here to go to thrift store... could i use the shirts to make these saddles?