Need Help With A Wounded Chicken

[spolley1]

My husband and I returned home at about 3:00pm today and let the girls out to play. Everyone was fine, we feed them some bread and they went about their business. About 10 min later my husband ask me to come out side and look at one of the girls. One of my Barred Rocks, Clara had just 1 tail feather. I picked her up and on further inspection all of the downy feathers on her back and down both sides of her neck were gone. You cant tell this from looking at her because her big feathers cover these areas. She also has a triangle shaped laceration to one side of her neck. We found her feathers in the yard near the house. I saw no bird in the sky and no other animals in the yard.

We put Clara in the basement in a chicken pen we used when they were little. Its warm down there. We tended to her wound.

The question is how long will it take for her feathers to grow back and how long should I leave her in a warm basement. I have a good tight coop and 6 other chickens. The weather here in Baltimore Maryland is about 48-50 during the day and 40-34 at night.

Any advise or thoughts would greatly be appreciated.

 

[GrannysRoost]

I would put like Neosporin without painkiller on the wound and it should heal over fast and in a day maybe some Blue Kote (sp). Maybe bring her a buddy in? When no sign of blood anyone would pick at, put her out for short periods at a time so see how it goes to put her back in the flock as soon as you can. She sounds like otherwise okay and the sooner you get her back the better. They are more resilient than you would think Good luck!

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Increasing her protein will help with feather production. Give her a couple of scrambled eggs every day or put her on a "flock raiser" feed or even up to "game bird" feed(24% protein I think). You can use Blukote on the would if you want her back out with the flock before she completely heals. Has bad taste if they peck at it and it covers any red color that attracts pecking. Wear old clothes if you do Blukote, stains horribly. I personally would keep her inside for a week then put her back in with the flock. I did this when I had a girl with 3" gash in her side from mating.

 

[spolley1]

Thanks for the help. I think I will put another chicken in with her and rotate her friends.