Please Help!! Head and neck injury

[GigiNfriends]

One of my hens somehow got her head stuck in a fence, it seems she was there quite a while. When I found her, neck bleeding, mouth open and gasping. I got her inside, cleaned wound, she will drink water from syringe and I added some apple cider vinegar this morning. Her eyes have not been open at all and she won't eat. What should I be doing and what do I feed her. I'm so worried!!

 

[MysteryChicken]

Pictures of the wounds?

Have you offered Scrambled Eggs, or wet mash?

 

[GigiNfriends]

Pictures of the wounds?

Have you offered Scrambled Eggs, or wet mash?

I offered scrambled eggs but she won't eat.

 

[Swbertrand1]

She's likely in shock right now from feeling trapped/caught. Best thing you can do is isolate her in a quiet spot and gently reassure her and offer food and water. I doubt the wound is super dirty, but clean it if needed and put a little antibiotic on it (without any painkiller it it), and monitor her condition over the next 12-24 hours for alertness, eating/drinking.

If she doesn't succumb to shock, I'd think she should start perking back up during that timeframe. We've had this happen, and it really scares the bird when they get caught in something. They panic easily, but once they realize they can't get free, they sorta shut down. We lost a bird to that sort of shock years ago when she got trapped between a coop and a fence and couldn't get out. We found her alive, but she had given up and died later.

It might be worth considering to plug the holes that other birds can get their heads through if you think it might happen again; we made sure no more could get caught between our fence and coop immediately. Good luck. I hope she recovers!

 

[GigiNfriends]

Thank you, its been 24 hours already, she will stand and I can get her to drink water but she seems to have labored breathing. I fixed the fence first thing.

 

[Swbertrand1]

Thank you, its been 24 hours already, she will stand and I can get her to drink water but she seems to have labored breathing. I fixed the fence first thing.

Good on the fence. She may still be in some level of shock, but stay with it if you can.

Do the best you can to reassure her everything is ok, keep her in a quiet environment, and offer some of her favorite treats to get some nutrients in her. The labored breathing is a concern as that's usually one of the last signs we see before a bird expires. I hope that's not the case, but only time will tell.

If you're going to add anything to the water you're giving her, add some vitamins and electrolytes in place of the ACV. She needs energy right now since we don't know how long she went without food and water. You might also try mixing a mash of her feed, some yogurt (tastes good), and fried egg yolks mixed together to form a moist paste and she if she'll eat some of that.

We're pulling for her!

 

[GigiNfriends]

Good on the fence. She may still be in some level of shock, but stay with it if you can.

Do the best you can to reassure her everything is ok, keep her in a quiet environment, and offer some of her favorite treats to get some nutrients in her. The labored breathing is a concern as that's usually one of the last signs we see before a bird expires. I hope that's not the case, but only time will tell.

If you're going to add anything to the water you're giving her, add some vitamins and electrolytes in place of the ACV. She needs energy right now since we don't know how long she went without food and water. You might also try mixing a mash of her feed, some yogurt (tastes good), and fried egg yolks mixed together to form a moist paste and she if she'll eat some of that.

We're pulling for her!

Thank you, I will stay with it until she gets better, I will add the yolks and yogurt and electrolytes. She is my fighter so I won't give up.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I offered scrambled eggs but she won't eat.

Are you able to trim the feathers from her injuries?

Does this extend to her mouth? She has brown fluid in her mouth, I think her wounds are infected.

 

[Swbertrand1]

Are you able to trim the feathers from her injuries?

Does this extend to her mouth? She has brown fluid in her mouth, I think her wounds are infected.

Would we see evidence of infection in just 24 hours? That seems pretty fast to me...

 

[MysteryChicken]

One of my hens somehow got her head stuck in a fence, it seems she was there quite a while. When I found her, neck bleeding, mouth open and gasping. I got her inside, cleaned wound, she will drink water from syringe and I added some apple cider vinegar this morning. Her eyes have not been open at all and she won't eat. What should I be doing and what do I feed her. I'm so worried!!

How long would you say she's been stuck for?