Severe laceration exposing crop...What should I do?

[EmsoffLambs]

I found on of my 5 month old pullets last night with a large laceration on her neck right over her crop. It's a clean cut, several inches wide and all the way through the skin. Her crop was full last night, which pulled the skin open even further. I figured I should try to close the wound somehow, but I don't didn't know if chicken skin is tough enough to hold a suture and I didn't figure medical tape would do any good with all the feathers. So I just put her in her own cage for the night.

This morning, she seems to be feeling pretty well, eating and drinking and wanting out of her cage. Will a wound like this heal? Should I be feeding her any antibiotics to combat infection? Should I try sutures?

 

[SpottedCrow]

You could try super glue...or suture it yourself...

 

[MandyH]

I'd say try the super glue too. The longer the gash is open the more exposed she is to infection. That's all that the liquid bandages that you buy and the doctors use are: super glue!

 

[silkiechicken]

Wash it out well with saline and be careful with your supermarket super glue because it heats up and can burn the injury. I personally would was it out and tape the skin together, and keep her from eating too much. When my hen got gashed open over her back and thigh, I just washed it out, flapped it back over, and it healed up.

 

[dlhunicorn]

here are my articles on suturing:
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=practical&action=display&num=1158144643&start=0
...the last one in particular deals with tissue glue.

ETA:
http://www.worldwidewounds.com/2003/august/Cousquer/Avian-Wound-Assessment.html
(excerpt)
Wound first aid will usually be performed at the time of the initial or subsequent clinical examination. It need not be high tech but should fulfil a number of basic objectives:

Cleaning - The wound should be cleaned quickly to remove as much contamination as possible. A more thorough cleaning should await veterinary examination of the wound. This is usually performed under general anaesthetic to help minimise stress . Sterile isotonic saline (0.9%) or a solution of 0.05% chlorhexidine may be used. Care should be taken not to wet the bird excessively as this is likely to increase the risks of hypothermia.

Haemostasis - veterinary attention should be requested if there is excessive bleeding. Bleeding from most small wounds will stop following the application of a wound dressing.

Protection from dehydration - the use of a hydrogel (e.g. Intrasite) will help protect a wound. This can be covered by a vapour permeable film dressing (e.g. Opsite) to provide further protection.

Immobilisation - certain wounds may benefit from immobilisation or splinting. A figure of eight dressing can be used to immobilise the lower wing, for example, or the limb can be strapped to the body.

Analgesia and antibiotics - broad spectrum antibiotics can be provided in the first instance: clavulanic acid potentiated amoxycillin (150mg/kg orally or subcutaneously) will provide cover against most aerobes and anaerobes. Analgesia can be provided with NSAIDs (e.g. carprofen (Rimadyl)) 5mg/kg subcutaneously or intravenously. Local anaesthetics should not be used in birds due to the suggested sensitivity of birds to drugs of the procaine group [8].