Lrge Gash In Hens Side Think From Rooster

[max101]

Hi I have not long bought a trio of plymouth rocks.I have owned them for 2 weeks.
She has stopped eating .
The pullet also has a strong bad smell about her.
Upon inspection I found a large gash that is hard and a hole with hard edges.
I applied some antiseptic powder and force feed her antibotic broad spectrum.
I do not know how old the wound is as I inspected her rear when I first got her as I found the rooster had mites and suspected she may have also.
I never seen any problem then
I have read a rooster can have his spurs removed with a hot potatoe

Is this true???
Is it cruel??

I am from Australia and we do not have chicken saddle as you call them on this site
I have looked on ebay but it will take 2-3 weeks to get here.
I am sorry about the amount of questions

Also what are the chances my hen dying if the infection is so bad I can smell it??

I will continue to force feed her and I will give antibotics to her twice a day.
Is it too late
Thank you in advance for any responses

 

[CapricornFarm]

I would keep her separate from the other chickens. Apply antibiotic ointment to the wound( no pain killers added for chickens). Feed her protein like meat and cooked eggs to help her heal. Good luck.

 

[max101]

Thank you I will grab her now
How long should I separate her
What should I do about the rooster as I am scared it is going to happen again of it may happen to my other hen??

 

[StevenSRitchie]

Sounds like your hen is to far gone but it may be worth trying. I use Teatree oil (not sure how to spell it) for any wounds on all my livestock and I've used it successfully on chickens. Also try crushing vitamin c pills and adding it to her water. I seriously doubt that the rooster did this damage because roosters and hens usually dont fight with each other. Perhaps she cut herself on something sharpe. Is there any fencing that she might have tried to slip through and cut herself? Some predators can reach in and grab a chicken by its mouth or claw (through a fence or hole) and seriously injure it. I recently had a hen with a very deap wound. When I examined the barn I realized that she probably cut herself on some lose fencing that was not secure. She apparently tried to get through a small area and cut herself on the wire. I've also had predators grab chickens through fencing and injure them. If the wound is very deap it is best to put the chicken down. I recently had to kill one of my injured hens. I dont eat injured birds myself but I have cooked the meat well and fed it to my dog and cat.

 

[StevenSRitchie]

Yes keep her seperated while she is in this condition. Other chickens (hens and roosters) will repeatedly peck at other chickens when they are wounded. That will kill her for sure. Is she able to walk on her own? Is she able to drink water? How deap is the wound? How bad is the infection? Are there maggots in the wound? If she can't eat or drink water and the wound is very deap then I would put her down.

 

[chkn]

I would keep doing the oral antibiotics and topical as well. It might be good to apply an over the counter antibiotic jell in the hole if you can get some. It'll help the wound heal. I couldn't tell you what brand to get being here in the states but get a jell that doesn't include a pain reliever. I definitely think she can be saved she just needs some TLC.

I would use a dropper with some electrolytes and/or a pinch or splash of something tasty like Jello powder. Drip the solution on top of the beak slowly. Wait for her to swallow (cause the liquid rolls down right into the beak so all she has to do is swallow). Keep repeating. Most critical right now besides treating the wound is keeping her hydrated. I wouldn't force her if you don't have to.

You might want to try a little egg yolk mixed with cat food. She is near or about full grown right? You can give her little bits of tomato, grapes, lettuce, cucumber and leave it with her. Leave some tasty water too. But use the dropper alot and just be patient. If she swallows enough of it she should start to engage your food ideas. A nice quiet place like a pet carrier with food and water in front of her so she will be tempted.

Good luck and give her lots of attention. They like little ear and ear lobe rubs and cheek and wattle rubs. Just get an old towel and spend some time (bring the dropper and the goodies).

 

[chkn]

You might even think about giving her a warm flea bath and soap her and the wound up good then blow dry her and keep her where she won't get a chill. It'll make her feel good and you won't feel like you're picking up mites by holding her. Reapply the ointment and then just see how she goes. You may be surprised!!!

I like to put my patients in a cat carrier with a towel inside and with food and water in the bathroom. I leave a night light on because you'd be surprised, they can snap out of it in the middle of the night and start pecking hard at the food. I also like to leave a little regular food. When it's cold I can leave a little thermostat controlled space heater in there and close the door so at least that room stays warm over night.

 

[sourland]

Two hens to one rooster is just not enough in most instances. I would suggest separating the rooster from the hens and then getting more hens. Toenails as well as spurs can cause such damage. Some roosters are just rough and never improve their 'technique.' If you want the rooster to provide fertile eggs, occasional supervised 'conjugal' visits should suffice. A successful mating can provide enough sperm to fertilize a hen's eggs for at least 2 weeks. (Probably longer.) Chickens are fairly resilient and I have had good luck with hens surviving such breeding injuries. If she does survive, she will probably stop laying eggs for a while. Good luck on her survival.

 

[max101]

Thanks for responses I forgot about water I know Im silly I was so scared she was starving and never thought dehydration is just as important.
I will try and get some oitment and put in the wound
Thanks again I feel a bit better now I was hoping she may make it

 

[max101]

Plymouths are not a common breed in the nsw australia so getting a adult hen is near impossible.
I have chicks that is it
I will seperate him and only bring him out in the morning as he is massive
Thanks