First aid question! I just interrupted an attack by a Cooper's Hawk!
(I also just cross posted this in the emergency forum, but I know you guys are very knowledgable and would appreciate your input!)
My Polish hen has about a 1 inch tear in her skin along the jawline--picture below. When she stretches her neck out the skin pulls apart and you can see the muscle layer beneath the skin, but from this picture you can see that the skin almost touches when she is resting. I sprayed it with veterycin, and I brought her inside with some food and water (with the electrolyte and vitamin powder from when she was a chick), but I'm not sure what else I should do.
I have vet wrap, but I don't think that'll help much because of the location of the wound. Does she need stitches? I don't have bluekote. If/when she seems stable enough, I can move her back out to the coop in an isolation pen so that she can see her friends but they can't peck at her, but I'm afraid to do that now while she has an open wound, since it could get much dirtier out there--it's just a dog pen set up on the floor of the coop that I put there to integrate the last batch of chicks and have been too busy/lazy to take out. So, it's covered and protected, but down on the dirt floor of the coop.
She seems alert but shaken. I put regular crumbles, some scratch, and some dried mealworms in the bowl for her. She looked at them but did not eat or drink right away (she may have touched them after I left, not sure).
I was looking out my window and saw the hawk swoop past in a flash. The hens were right near the house, and all scattered. I ran out to do a head count, and saw her laying on the ground with the hawk at her head. I chased the F***er off, and Buttercup just laid there--I thought she was dead. After about a minute I noticed she was still breathing, and when I went closer to inspect she jumped up and ran off. After I got everyone in the coop I brought her inside. I looked her all over, and other than one tail feather pulled out, the laceration by her face seems to be the only harm....
(I also just cross posted this in the emergency forum, but I know you guys are very knowledgable and would appreciate your input!)
My Polish hen has about a 1 inch tear in her skin along the jawline--picture below. When she stretches her neck out the skin pulls apart and you can see the muscle layer beneath the skin, but from this picture you can see that the skin almost touches when she is resting. I sprayed it with veterycin, and I brought her inside with some food and water (with the electrolyte and vitamin powder from when she was a chick), but I'm not sure what else I should do.
I have vet wrap, but I don't think that'll help much because of the location of the wound. Does she need stitches? I don't have bluekote. If/when she seems stable enough, I can move her back out to the coop in an isolation pen so that she can see her friends but they can't peck at her, but I'm afraid to do that now while she has an open wound, since it could get much dirtier out there--it's just a dog pen set up on the floor of the coop that I put there to integrate the last batch of chicks and have been too busy/lazy to take out. So, it's covered and protected, but down on the dirt floor of the coop.
She seems alert but shaken. I put regular crumbles, some scratch, and some dried mealworms in the bowl for her. She looked at them but did not eat or drink right away (she may have touched them after I left, not sure).
I was looking out my window and saw the hawk swoop past in a flash. The hens were right near the house, and all scattered. I ran out to do a head count, and saw her laying on the ground with the hawk at her head. I chased the F***er off, and Buttercup just laid there--I thought she was dead. After about a minute I noticed she was still breathing, and when I went closer to inspect she jumped up and ran off. After I got everyone in the coop I brought her inside. I looked her all over, and other than one tail feather pulled out, the laceration by her face seems to be the only harm....
