Roosters attacked Leghorn. Graphic Pics. Help :( ***UPDATE w/Pics!***

[Jschaaff]

UPDATE IN POST 12!




I've noticed my 2 biggest roos picking on my leghorn (her names IS Leghorn btw) over the past week. We had planned on culling the two roos this weekend, leaving just the smaller, nicest one. But when I opened the henhouse this morning, I found Leghorn with the back of her head missing. Needless to say, the boys are in a dog carrier, and will shortly be resting in my fridge. But for now, I brought her in the house (she was roosting, and did fly about 10 feet away from me when I went in. Not sure if that means anything, but I'm clinging onto anything right now, that might mean she'll make it.) I did want to hurt her by rubbing the open wound so the best I could do was to keep squeezing a mixture of water and peroxide over her wound until it was as clean as I could get it without touching it. I'm not squeemish and if I should do more, please tell me, I just don't want to hurt her! Then i patted it dry and gently covered it with a thick layer of neosporin. Out of guaze wrap, so settled for 2 gauze pads, wrapped it with a white nylon and taped her up.

I mixed a steriod/antibiotic/painkiller with some water and shot that in her mouth. I think it put her to sleep. It may have been too much (no idea how much, just shaved a dusting off the pills and mixed them with water, and yes it was a last resort, but couldn't stand to see her in pain) as afer a few minutes her eyes closed,and her tongue came out, but I was able to wake her back up, and keep her up for a bit. Now she is sound asleep in my arms, and the only way I know she is still alive is from watching her chest move.

This baby was QUEEN, before I brought in all these other chickens. She ruled the flock...when I added to the flock, she eventually got demoted to bottom of the totem pole. I know none of this is necessary info...it's just that she's a pet... and I'm afraid I'm going to lose her.

From the pictures, does any one have any idea if she can survive a wound like this? And if she survives, will the rest of the flock (minus the roos of course) accept her back, or in a situation like this should I rehome her?

Any advice will be appreciated.
Thank you.
Jessa

 

[TinyChickenLady]

OMG I am so sorry this happened!! That looks terrible to be honest. She will be a very lucky lady if she makes it. You might have to rename her Miracle in that case. I've heard that when you reintroduce a chicken after an extended period of time, they are considered "new" again to the others so I'd be very careful when you take that step. I really hope she makes it

Poor thing. Please keep us posted.

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

It is awful and my heart breaks for her. I think you did the right thing though. We have a naked neck pullet that had a huge laceration on the back of her neck. We think she got cut, not pecked. Anyway, I cleaned it out, and put Vetericyn on it twice a day for about 4 days, then just once a day. We kept her in a crate in our garage away from the others and gave her lots of love. Within 7 days it was healed, she doesn't even have a scar. She is back with the rest of the flock and doing fine. The worst part about your situation is that if she was already the lowest in the pecking order she will just have to start all over with that when you return her to the flock. I have a hen that is in our infirmary now and wish that I would have pulled another one out with her so when we return her to the flock she will not be a loner. So perhaps today you can bring in another lowly hen out of your group and pair them up until you reintroduce her?? Might save her some more trauma down the road.

 

[Jschaaff]

Quote:
Thank you both of you. If I can get her up, I'll see how my buff brahma (belle) does with her. Leghorn is the smallest of the bunch maybe 3-4 lbs and belle is the largest, yet the next lowest in ranking. Great idea. Thank you very much!

 

[Bettylouplus4]

Thats wicked sad! My favorite hen I found dead this morning.

 

[Okie Amazon]

Just clean it up with a tiny amount of antibacterial soap and water, then apply an antibiotic cream. Chickens are amazing healers.


Sorry about your loss, Betty.

 

[wyoDreamer]

There have been some very bad injuries posted here on BYC that the chickens have recovered from.

Do a search for "Skinned alive" in this index, if you put it in quotes and look for text in TOPIC ONLY it should pop right up.
Warning - the pictures are pretty graphic.

The wound is much worse than your chcickens, and there is some pretty good advice in that thread. That chicken healed pretty well from the neck wound, unfortunately, she ended up dying from a respitory infection at the end of the thread.

 

[Redcatcher]

I'd be inclined to pull that flap of skin over and put a few stitches in. If you don't have the materials, a simple needle and thread will do. I think she'll be fine.

 

[Mama duck 8]

I know exactly what to do! They sell this a my feed store so they should have it at yours... Its called wunder dust it comes very handy in situations like this.. Its a blue dust that cleans and cures wounds like that.. You have to try it fast but before you squirt the wunder dust on her/him you have to get hydrogen proxide on a peice of cotten or cloth and just kinda put some on the wound BEFORE the wunder dust.. That thing that you put on it is just gonna make it moist, damp, and worse.. So your gonna have to take off that weird cloth thing you put on it..It is VERY IMPORTANT that the wound breaths, so what ever happens do NOT put that thing back on its wound... And get hydrgen peroxide on the wound..Its gonna get a little phomy but that means that its killing all the bacteria, that let it dry a little.. It might look like their is a bit of puss.. but dont touch it... Than AFTER it dries give it about 3-4 min.. You squirt the wunder dust on it.. You do this about 2-3 times a day everyday for about a week.. After a week STOP putting peroxide on the wound or else the wound will never close.. Also after that week if the wound still looks bad than you just get a hose and gently pour water on the wound, than put wunder dust over it.. But that should work...I have three emus that I really love and they got attacked by an animal, and they healed quickly thanks to wunder dust and peroxide.

 

[Jschaaff]

Quote:
Thank you again all. Was a long night, but she was still tickin this morning

Got her to drink some water, and she attacked a few bites of feed. But then back to hanging her head, and looking like she's well...dead

I took the "weird cloth thing" (that made me smile btw, thank you

) off of her neck this morning, as she is doing a bit, very tiny bit better, and seemed even more miserable with it on. I am headed to the feed store for hay today, so will see if i can find this wunder dust. It sounds like exactly what i need.

I would have loved to sew her up as Redcatcher suggested, and tho I'm quite handy with a needle and thread, looking at her neck, I wouldn't have known what to sew to where?!?!, and with my hands shaking (from being terrified i'll make it worse), she probably would've tried to off herself and end it all, just to get away from me!!

WyoDreamer, thank you for that post. I read the whole thing and oh my, tears of course! I'm glad there is hope for her. Leghorn is definitely not alert like Holly was, but maybe in a day or two. If she is not improving at that point, I know we will have to cull, and I know that's part of life, but ooh it just sucks.