Mystery hen..

[Hentooth]

So yesterday my neighbour turns up at my door with an injured, skinny, sorry looking hen.. she’d been for a walk in the forest and found her (it’s England and raining and 11 degrees in the day) so she was pretty beat up.. she looked like she’d been out there a while, boney and flat crop.. and from the injury on her back I can only assume something got her and ran off with her, and she’s been trying to not die out there since..
She couldn’t stand yesterday, and was so dull and lifeless and filthy
So I offered her some pellets and she gobbled them up.. since she was filthy and I couldn’t inspect her, I made a nice warm Epsom salt bath, she absolutely loved it and laid relaxing as I massaged her and cleaned her.
Then I took her out and dried her and let her sit on my lap, she’s very VERY tame.. and I inspected her.
She appears to be in moult, and her new feathers are about 1cm through.. the wound on her back looked black so I’m worried it’s necrotic. I’ve cut all the feathers away near it that we’re stuck in the wound, and I noticed small tiny maggots around the outside of the wound.. so I picked them out, and cleaned her wound edges with hydrogen peroxide (not the wound) to kill any maggots that were there.. I left it 5 minutes then washed everything with warm salt water.. let it dry and put a layer of ‘Brulidine’ on (uk style Neosporin I believe) and put her in a box in the house with nice bedding & a towel on the top.
This morning I expected her to be dead, but she’s here chirping away.. she pooped twice, it looks healthy too. Just made her scrambled egg, and got her some cat food (both of which she wolfed down) and she’s drinking real good. Salt water washed her wound again, let it air dry a little then added more Brulidine..
she’s currently laid on me purring (which I’ve never heard!!) she was able to stand a little too, she keeps trying but is wobbly, she’s very very chatty.. so fingers crossed she survives!!

also I’m not sure of her breed.. she’s a little like my cream legbar but has no tuft on her head. She has dark eyes and dark lobes..

 

[Mvan42]

Keep up the good work. Sounds like she is on a road to recovery with some care and love she should do great. I haven’t had to tend to a wounded chickens before but what I have read your doing everything you can. Others may have more suggestions to help. Good luck

 

[Eggcessive]

Germolene and Savlon creams are also good to use for wounds, and they contain chlorhexidene, a very good antiseptic. The hydrogen peroxide probably should not be used, since it can impede healing. It sounds like you are doing a good job taking care of her wounds. I would look her over for mites and lice. Keep her in quarantine from your regular flock for 30 days, just to make sure that she has no symptoms of a disease. She sounds like a feisty healthy hen to have survived a predator attack on her own. I hope that she makes a good recovery and a good hen for your flock. Thanks for rescuing her, and let us know how she gets along.

 

[Eggcessive]

Glad the maggots are gone, and I really am glad that you have a good handle on this. Let us know how she is getting along periodically.

 

[Hentooth]

Ok so she stood up after day one a little bit kept falling over.. (she’s so skinny I don’t think she has the strength) day 2 she was stood up a little longer etc. Yesterday she took 5 shaky steps and fell over! Hopefully today she will sort herself out. I think that because she’s been laying slightly to one side it’s thrown her legs out of sync a bit, she’s getting there though.
Been bathing and soaking her wound each day and adding cream after.. and today..
Well.. today I went to clean her big black wound and the wool pad got caught on the lip and pulled it a little, and it cane up easily.. so I gently pulled it and it all came off!! What the hell!!? She has lovely pink skin underneath with feathers coming through?! I’ll try to post a pic, it’s insane

 

[Hentooth]

I know. I would never use the peroxide but I thought I’d have to for those little maggot things, that’s why I used it only on her healthy pink skin around the wound where they were wriggling.. there’s nothing wriggling there today thank God!checked her for any mites etc and surprisingly I can’t find any. She has far too much down though, it’s insane getting in there!!
Thanks for the advice, much appreciated

 

[Hentooth]

Scab

 

[Callender Girl]

Best wishes for her recovery, and bless you for taking care of her!

 

[boskelli1571]

I would add some vitamin/electrolyte powder to her water for a couple of days, see if it helps. You are doing a great job, keep it up!

 

[glassdragonfly]

Great job!