Silkie Rooster attacked by Owl, neck wound, respitory symptoms. Please Help!

[Danigyrl]

Hi all! I’m new to backyard chickens as a member but I’m a frequent visitor for help with my chickens over the last 5 years. I’ve always found everything I need, but I’m struggling to find a post with a similar situation or like symptoms. So I decided it was time to post for myself.

Monday evening at dusk my 7 month old blue silkie rooster was attacked, by what I’m assuming was an owl. Without large detail, it was the only local predator that made sense. I found him hiding, with a large open would on his neck. He’s basically been scalped from the back of his skull down to the base of his neck. This is not the part I’m worried about, as I’ve seen my chickens recover from some horrific looking wounds. His neck is covered with Blue Kote currently and bacitracin ointment.
However, he’s having some respirory symptoms that I can’t find help with. He moves all limbs and wings, wobbles when he stands up, but is drinking water from a syringe. Wednesday when he tried to eat, he acted like he was choking. After investigating, he had thick saliva in his mouth and a piece of food was stuck under his tongue. I noticed his tongue wasn’t sitting in the lower beak like usual. It was resting at the roof of his mouth. Possible dehydration, or some kind of skeletal injury?
Since I found him on Monday, he’s sounded wheezy. Today, when I moved him to feed him some liquid food, I noticed that when he takes in large breaths the air sounds like it’s escaping out of his R eye. His eye gets watery and there are bubbles that form. I cannot tell if he has internal skeletal injuries. He seems to improve little by little, but I don’t know what kind of injury would cause the bubbles in his eye. He has no cough, but does frequently pull his head into his body and shudder.
Does that sound like something he can heal from? I don’t know if he has a punctured lung, or possibly a broken rib, or something worse. I’ll try to post a picture and video of him breathing. They don’t show many of the bubbles. He’s in pretty bad shape, but he’s being such a trooper! Any suggestions/tips would help. Thanks in advance!

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Okay so that’s not looking to good. I would take him to the vet if that’s an option if not try feeling for air bubbles in his neck that could be causing the rattling breathing. And the wound I would clean with water if you haven’t done already and then you can get a better look at what the extent of the damage is

 

[Eggcessive]

I would be concerned that he has a leaking air sac in the neck from the attack. Can you feel gathering under the skin? The air sac may be leaking into the sinus behind the eye. It also could be that his trachea was damaged in the attack. I would try to see a vet or avian vet if possible. I am not sure what you could do yourself, but I would use Vetericyn Wound Spray to apply to the wound twice a day. Here is a good link with pictures of the air sacs:
https://www.petcoach.co/article/respiratory-system-of-birds-anatomy-and-function/

 

[Danigyrl]

Thank you both for the reply!!! I just called an Avian Vet and I’m taking him in right now. I appreciate the help. Just had to confirm this was out of my hands. Here’s hoping for the best!!

 

[Eggcessive]

Hopefully the vet can save him. Please let us know how it goes.

 

[Abriana]

Poor baby hopefully he pulls through. Please keep us updated

 

[Danigyrl]

Just consulted with the vet. Without all the details, best option for him is to euthanize him. Even if I had all the time in the world to nurse him back to heath, there’s no guarantee he wouldn’t have neurological damage, and be blind in one eye. Not good odds in a flock of non-bantam hens. Thank you again for all your help with this hard decision.