Pecked pretty bad, skin ripped off. please help

[chicks & ducks]

oh my gosh. Please I hope someone can help! I've been putting my 9 week old red hens with the 3 adult rir's and they've been fine. This morning I went out and one of the little hens has been picked at very badly. I can't say if it was the big hens(who normally just stay away from the little ones as the coop is so big) or if it was her fellow peers who pecked her. It's on the back of her neck and the skin is completely gone, exposing muscle and veins. I can see at the bottom of the wound where the skin is bunched up where it's fallen down. I've not done anything to her, just brought her in and gave her food and water(she ate but don't know if she drank).
I've never had to deal with this.
I have to say that our chicks are our pets, we do not eat them. I know some of you will think I'm crazy for crying over a hurt chicken, but I hate to see anyone or anything injured like this!

My hubby says just let her be and see what happens but I want to DO something. I've not washed her at all, thinking maybe the blood will be necessary to form some sort of protective layer. I just don't see how she can recover from this though. The wound is about the size of a quarter I'd say, and there's no skin to pull back over the wound.
I have iodine and blukot but don't want to put anything on her that might do more harm than good. I held her, warmed her up and she eventually fell asleep-can't put head forward though. she just layed there breathing deeply but shaking often.

I'll take her to the vet to be put down if i have to, but hoping someone here will just say she'll be fine with time and perhaps I can stop crying.

 

[dawg53]

I recommend that you mix betadine with luke warm water to the color of weak tea and flush the wound. Next, apply neosporin ointment (without pain reliever) on the wound. No need to bandage the wound. Continue with the neosporin treatment til she heals. Keep her seperated til she heals, and provide her feed and freshwater.

 

[CMV]

She will be fine.

But... you need to deal with the wound. Clean it as best you can with betadine tea (one part betadine to 10 parts water). I like to use a turkey baster so I can get a little pressure behind the stream and loosen any debris that might be in the wound. You may need to trim a few feathers back to keep them out of the wound. This is OK as long as you don't trim any blood feathers. Blood feathers look like quills. Don't trim them as they will bleed like crazy. Apply regular Neosporin to the area, no -caine ingredients. Keep the chick separated until the area heals. Feed high protein food until healed.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[katie4]

I just looked up injuries like this (My 6 week old chick got pecked too). Books (Chickens for Dummies, Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens) recommend flushing area with hydrogen peroxide, isolating from flock, and not bandaging the wound. If blood doesn't stop use a powdered clotting agent.

Good luck.

 

[allieloveschickens]

This happened to my chicken too, I used a saline spray solution to clean the wound, then applied neosporin without pain killer daily. She recovered just fine, and even grew her feathers back with a couple months.
(edited to add link) here is the thread from when I posted about my chicken Lucy: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=462845

 

[MandyH]

She will be fine. Pour some iodine over it and let it dry. Keep her away from the others til it's healed and you will never know she was hurt.

 

[TeamChaos]

p.s. there are a lot of us who understand being emotionally attached to chickens! Follow the directions for cleaning that are provided here and she'll be fine. (I swear by vetricyn as a wound coat, but everybody has their own preference)

 

[Desert Rooster]

I have one thats recovering from a back wound and it was worse than yours, she was badly pecked and her spine was exposed.
This was about 2 weeks ago and now she's recovering pretty well. just clean her wound like the other members above me say, and shell be OK.
And we don't think your crazy for crying over a hurt chicken, I'm a guy, and i got teary eyed when i saw my chickens wound thinking that she wasn't gonna make it.

 

[zowieyellowflame]

I had a rooster this week escape from his pen and enter the pen of another while I was at work. We came home to 2 very injured roosters! We didn't think one would survive the night and now, 3 nights later there are no signs of injury at all! Chickens heal well and with your help to prevent infection, all the better! As for our roos, we have added measures to ensure neither escapes and visits one another again.
Good luck! Hope all goes well!

 

[chicks & ducks]

You guys are the best!
I've done exactly as told and between that and lots of cuddles she seems ok in herself. She eats and drinks but she sure smells!
Thanks again you guys! All of your posts mean the world to me and baby chick.

Oh-DesertRooster that sounds awful! I'd be a wreck. How awesome to hear of a recovery!