Need help advice possible hawk attack injury

[TreehuggerMo]

Neighbor called me to adopt a baby chick that walked out of the woods into their yard. Poor thing looks about 4? Weeks and is very people friendly but its belly has an open tear on it. Apologies for the blurry picture. I’ve sprayed it with Vetericyn as it’s all I have on hand but asking for any other advice. It’s not bleeding buy the chick is poking at it. One wing is also injured but ot as bad. Also baby gets real upset when not with me. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[MarlaMac]

Is the wound deep, or is it a skin tear? My question is really are any of it insides visible?

If it is a simply laceration to the dermis (outer, middle or even inner - i.e., fat layer) you can just wash it with either a clorhexidine solution or iodine solution. Pat dry the area. Cut the surrounding feathers (make sure they are not pin feathers - i.e., growing in feathers), Cutting the surrounding feathers aways helps the skin to gradiate back in without interference. You don't want the feathers growing into the healing skin. Then apply a triple antibiotic ointment without pain killer in it. Do this 2-3 times a day. After the scab starts to form you can stop with the daily washings and just keep the wound moist - a moist wound heals more comfortably than a dry wound.

If the chick continues to peck at the wound you may have to wrap her loosely so she doesn't keep opening the wound.

If the injury is beyond the dermis, then a vet vist may be in order as it may require oral antibiotics to heal.

If you are going to keep he chick, this will be a good isolation period. The wound will take at least a couple of weeks to heal, but maybe longer.

 

[MarlaMac]

BTW...it looks like a little Black Australorp. And it looks younger than 4 weeks. Maybe 7-10 days, if that.

 

[fldiver97]

That’s a pretty young chick, < 2 weeks? Agree with OP, if the chick keeps pecking you can try to cover with a small piece of gauze and a little bit of vet wrap after you put triple antibiotic ointment on. The chick still needs some heat source and chick crumbles. You can also put a plush animal in with her/him for company.

 

[MarlaMac]

Just for reference, here is a picture of some of our Black Australorps at 10 days old. Also, you will need some starter/grower and chick grit for that baby if you don't already have some. Layer pellets have too much calcium and probably not enough protien. Just giving some info.

 

[MarlaMac]

Yes, as @fldiver97 says, a heat source. One it can get under and away from if needed. A brooder plate is best, but a heat lamp will work at the right height.

Thanks for taking this baby in!

 

[fldiver97]

I forgot…. Birds of prey also often leave other wounds, puncture marks from their talons. When your chick is settled a bit look her/him over for bruises or puncture wounds. Just clean them a little and dab same ointment on daily. Hopefully she’ll heal and recover from the ordeal.