skinned alive -update 18/4/2011 the update we didnt want :(

[spish]

my hen has just either had a terrible accident or has just been attacked...the photos that follow are horrific in my eyes so please only look if you can stomach it

she's been not only scalped, but ALL the skin/fat/feathers from her neck upwards, right wattles are ripped off too but the ear 'tufts' are still attached.

she's in shock, that much is obvious. ive put her in a dark room to keep calm but she must be in horrendous pain.

im unsure at this point whether to cull now or try and save. in the pics you can see the skin and feathers are all there, but attached by a thread of skin. theres no way i can 'patch' this up. so im thinking of cutting off that hangining bunch of skin

but then all her flesh underneath is open to infection. you can see the 'tube' to her crop, the veins pulsating, its making me feel queasey to be honest.


im looking for honest thoughtful opinions. is she saveable ? if i try what would i have to do? i understand infection is the biggest threat at the moment. im suprised actually thats theres very little; almost no blood.

so please people, honestly, what do i do, for the chickens sake not mine!


photos are just uploading i'll stick them in the next post.

 

[spish]

 

[goldeneggtees]

Oh my! To me, she looks to be able to be saved but I'm not sure what to tell you to do.

PLEASE someone chime in quickly here with some advice!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh Spish, poor thing, looks like a predator was skinning it to eat. I am so sorry. But you know what I'm not sure I'd cull her. it's amazing how they can come back from such horrific attacks. yes your going to have an invalid on your hands for a while if your up to it. She most likely is in pain and you can give baby aspirin or maybe get something stronger from your vet. and that skin and feathers will have to be cut away. I'd keep her out of the sun and as confined as possible till you see skin growing back over real good. There are vet sprays vetracin is one of them that would probably be good to keep infection at bay. and you'll need something to keep flys off of it. You know it's your call you see her and what she must be going through, it's going to be alot of care but I think she could make it through.

 

[spish]

if she is to be saved i really need some quick advice on a) painrelief b) coping with shock c) preventing infection? d) the bare flesh, is that gonna dry out/go hard/rot? do i need to cover it, leave it open to air??? i have no idea, ive never dealt with wounds so large with nothing to close them with

 

[spish]

Quote:
should i cut it off now or wait until shes out of shock (shes panting and shaking here) its such a big piece of skin and feathers hanging down its actually pulling her head down to one side, but i dont wanna stress her out even more at the moment

 

[slackwater]

To be honest...she *may* be saveable. But she's got a long road ahead of her, with a lot of rot & infection...I would cull. There is no reason to put an ordinary hen through that.

Good luck.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm not a nurse or dr. but we do have them on here so hopefully they will be here soon for more advise. Do you have her in a quiet, dark place for now to help with shock? and put water in there with her, if you have electrolytes I'd put some in her water too.

 

[krcote]

Cull. You wouldn't want to live if you were in that kind of pain.

 

[spish]

i have her in my hatchery at the moment, the only light in their is a red heat lamp over the brooders at the other end of the room, its the cleanest room i could think of, no flies, no noise, constant room temp/heat source etc