Open gaping wound on neck! feather picking overload!!! please help~

[sunket77]

Please help, I introduced a new chicken to my flock and she has been find until now. Now her neck is so bad the skin has pulled back and her muscles are exposed, it's her entire neck.... I don't know what to do!!!!! The bleeding is not bad but I know she must be in terrible pain. Please tell me what to do. She is a mix breed about 4.5 mo old.

 

[tamelroy]

Put ointment on the wounds to help healing and try to wipe away the blood. Blood will encourage the other chickens to peck at them. I've never had this problem but I've been told that black tar on the wounds will help heal and stop the other chickens pecking it. Make sure the chickens have a good balanced diet as they may start looking for their nutrients elsewhere- eg. by pecking each other!

and you could try hanging a head of cabbage in their pen up off the ground enough so they will have to jump to reach it the love the cabbage and it also keep them busy, they could be bored.

There is also a device that goes in the nose of the hen and they can't peck.

I hoped I helped a little for you!

 

[darkfur]

I've given quail in the same situation stitches, the wound has to be quite fresh for it to take. I washed the wound well with saline and then disinfected a household needle and thread and sewed the wound together in a similar way as you would sew a tear in fabric up. Worked well, took the stitches out when the scabs were falling off and you would never know now. If the wound is really bad I would be inclined to separate the bird from the flock to give it a chance to recover, and also as the other chickens will be attracted to the open wound. If stitching is not an option a good coating of antibiotic lotion would be a good call.

 

[sunket77]

I think I will go with antibiotic and and I have already separated her. It was one hen that has always been mean (at least we know she started it!) so she is out free-range her and her siblings are mean to other chickens so out they go! They have been out before but I put them back in after we lost one to a roaming dog. But they are to mean to my good laying chickens to stay in the run with them.

I really hope my little injured hen (latte) will be ok I just feel so bad b/c I know she has to be in some serious pain

 

[tamelroy]

I hope she feels better soon, it is hard when you have mean ones and sweet ones.

Everyone has luck with comets and I didn't I lost 3 of my hens because they pecked them to death. They tried on two more, but I have those two living in the house with me until I can get rid of the comets. My coop and run is huge, I give treats (the hanging cabbage, I hide stuff in the coop for them to find too) plenty of protein and I still have a problem. Now I am getting birds that are calm and can handle being locked up. I found my RiR and comets do better free ranging then in the coop and I know the coop is big enough, I made it big knowing I would get more chicks. I also have leghorns, but the worse some get is a missing tail, they handle themselves good.

Most chickens do get better, they are strong! some on here just but neo (without the pain med) on and put the skin back on top after cleaning it out, and the next day the skin just stayed in place.

If you want to keep the mean ones look around in the feed stores or on the hatcheries sites and they have this thing that you put on so they can't peck anymore. I heard they are cheap so you could always try that.

I hope she gets better for you! Good luck!