Suggestions? URGENT

[Papaye]

Hi.

8 week old, skin torn off. flushed and added ointment. with skin this thin, I dont think I can do stitches without anesthesia.

Advice please.

Note: I know what I would tell client to do... but this is my little girl, so it hits home hard.

Actually, you really would not need to advice people to cull an animal for such a wound...

Here is what you want to ALWAYS have on hand : https://www.distilleriedescevennes.com/collections/soins-huile-de-cade-vraie-animaux/products/soin-naturel-huile-de-cade-poules?variant=41057647460399

...I really recommend buying Cade Oil for chickens.
(The real, actual one; and NOT a counterfeit product...!!)

Cade Oil is a natural and 100% plant-based product with numerous beneficial properties - notably antiseptic, antiparasitic, and antifungal -, that is valued in veterinary medicine.

Source : https://www.distilleriedescevennes.com/pages/huile-de-cade-vertus

• The 500-gram one has a brush that you NEVER need to clean, so I recommend you to buy this one first.

I, personally, have used it for everything for years now : leg mites, injuries, sometimes even as insect repellent, etc...

I honestly don't think a better product exists for these purposes; and so, if one of my hens had such a severe wound on her head, I really would not use any other product than Cade Oil...!
(I would even use it for other animals - La Distillerie des Cévennes does make Cade Oil for cats, dogs, horses, etc...!)

...Good luck with your girl.

(Raw honey would help too!)

 

[CabritaChicks]

I just remembered this old article I wrote about dealing with a chick of mine that was scalped by the rooster. I documented the progression of my treatment and healing process. You will see from the photos there that even a chick missing all the skin on the top of her head will grow new skin over it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/healing-a-severely-injured-baby-chick.71976/

This is very helpful, thank you.
My Ouzo is quite a bit more severe- but she still seems in pretty good spirits (I will say- chickens compared to parrots- night and day difference).

So Im crossing fingers, and making a completely different integration plan for the future. I wavered off course from the last two times, and now I am focused on saving her life with my dignity in tact (I just got done singing her a song laying on the floor as she always loved that).

 

[CabritaChicks]

Im writing at the top, im sorry if I come off wrong, I just want o explain.

People online really oversimplify wound care, especially with chickens, and it’s hard watching everyone insist that “triple-antibiotic ointment fixes everything.” Her space is spotless, she’s warm, her kennels are immaculate — that’s not the issue. What I was taught — 15 years and counting — is that slathering ointment on a massive, open avulsion wound is one of the worst things you can do.

Not because the ointment is toxic, but because on a wound this extensive, it creates exactly the wrong environment: trapped moisture, maceration, delayed granulation, and tissue that breaks down instead of rebuilding.

Unless chickens are somehow physiologically different from every other bird — and yes, I do believe in moist-wound healing when appropriate — this still applies.

This isn’t just academic for me.
I’ve had 26 major surgeries myself, and I’ve experienced maceration twice. Both times, the damaged tissue had to be removed. So I’m extremely cautious about creating that same problem on a tiny chick who doesn’t have any extra tissue to spare.

And yes — I’ll admit it — I’ve gotten too attached to a chicken.
I care about her more than I probably should, and it makes this even harder.

If the avian anesthesiologist were still on island, I’d know exactly how to proceed under proper sedation and wound prep. But here, with no surgical backup and a chick who traveled halfway across the world to get to me… I’m struggling to make the best possible decision for her, not just follow “forum wisdom.”

Small wounds and full-length scalpings are not the same thing.
I refuse to treat them like they are — not when her life depends on it.

If anyone has actual studies or resources on large avian avulsion wounds, please share them. I’m digging through everything I can find. I’m not saying anyone is wrong — I’m just trying to sort out the safest and most effective approach for this little one.

I even tracked down the “new skin” product online, but of course it can’t be shipped to the island. Puerto Rico has some in stock, but they’re shipping to Jamaica first after the hurricane.

Ugh, I think I am venting.

 

[tlcmurphy]

Im writing at the top, im sorry if I come off wrong, I just want o explain.

People online really oversimplify wound care, especially with chickens, and it’s hard watching everyone insist that “triple-antibiotic ointment fixes everything.” Her space is spotless, she’s warm, her kennels are immaculate — that’s not the issue. What I was taught — 15 years and counting — is that slathering ointment on a massive, open avulsion wound is one of the worst things you can do.

Not because the ointment is toxic, but because on a wound this extensive, it creates exactly the wrong environment: trapped moisture, maceration, delayed granulation, and tissue that breaks down instead of rebuilding.

Unless chickens are somehow physiologically different from every other bird — and yes, I do believe in moist-wound healing when appropriate — this still applies.

This isn’t just academic for me.
I’ve had 26 major surgeries myself, and I’ve experienced maceration twice. Both times, the damaged tissue had to be removed. So I’m extremely cautious about creating that same problem on a tiny chick who doesn’t have any extra tissue to spare.

And yes — I’ll admit it — I’ve gotten too attached to a chicken.
I care about her more than I probably should, and it makes this even harder.

If the avian anesthesiologist were still on island, I’d know exactly how to proceed under proper sedation and wound prep. But here, with no surgical backup and a chick who traveled halfway across the world to get to me… I’m struggling to make the best possible decision for her, not just follow “forum wisdom.”

Small wounds and full-length scalpings are not the same thing.
I refuse to treat them like they are — not when her life depends on it.

If anyone has actual studies or resources on large avian avulsion wounds, please share them. I’m digging through everything I can find. I’m not saying anyone is wrong — I’m just trying to sort out the safest and most effective approach for this little one.

I even tracked down the “new skin” product online, but of course it can’t be shipped to the island. Puerto Rico has some in stock, but they’re shipping to Jamaica first after the hurricane.

Ugh, I think I am venting.

I’d missed the part about the new skin in your previous message, if it could be used on birds that would be fantastic! I don’t think folks here are familiar with its use in avian medicine.
Is it something we could order here on the mainland without a prescription? If so, I could probably ship some to you in St. Thomas.

 

[azygous]

New Skin can be toxic to animals and birds if ingested. Therefore any use other than human is not recommended.

 

[azygous]

Just an observation. Facebook and BYC are the same age. Which one would you rather trust for poultry care information?

 

[CabritaChicks]

Just an observation. Facebook and BYC are the same age. Which one would you rather trust for poultry care information?

I didnt know that! wow, that is pretty amazing.

I don’t rely on Facebook for my information, I dont have facebook—I rely on years of training and very expensive schooling across multiple countries, plus more clinical avian work than most veterinarians (which is partly why they’re not always fond of us Dsc, we are a strange breed).

“New Skin” (vet grade) isn’t comparable to the over-the-counter products people are thinking of. It’s a specific type of medical material. Saying they’re the same is like saying all fabrics are identical—cotton vs. linen, polyester vs. wool. At the falconry center I worked at—which also served as an avian veterinary clinic and I worked in the critical care unit —New Skin was our standard for certain severe wounds, especially with raptors. Because falconry is not a pretty sport.

Right now I’m trying to track down the original brand we used, I think we found it, but it is a nightmare to get here- it is not like Amazon delivers- lol.

I still have some of the old bumblefoot treatment (long expired, but kept as a reference) because it was one of the most effective products I’ve ever worked with.

 

[CabritaChicks]

I’d missed the part about the new skin in your previous message, if it could be used on birds that would be fantastic! I don’t think folks here are familiar with its use in avian medicine.
Is it something we could order here on the mainland without a prescription? If so, I could probably ship some to you in St. Thomas.

That would be amazing. Can I PM you?

I’m trying to find out whether this avian-specific product can be shipped here in time. The local clinic can’t order it, so I’m reaching out to friends in the States (but many are traveling for hte holiday).

On the island, we can only order through a single distributor, and if they don’t carry something, we simply can’t get it. Even small veterinary supplies—like fine-gauge needles—can take months to arrive.

 

[tlcmurphy]

That would be amazing. Can I PM you?

I’m trying to find out whether this avian-specific product can be shipped here in time. The local clinic can’t order it, so I’m reaching out to friends in the States (but many are traveling for hte holiday).

On the island, we can only order through a single distributor, and if they don’t carry something, we simply can’t get it. Even small veterinary supplies—like fine-gauge needles—can take months to arrive.

That’s ridiculous! Yes, you can PM me.

 

[FunClucks]

@CabritaChicks

I'll provide a second voice - yes, chickens with that much skin torn off can regrow it all completely, feathers included. Give her about 6 weeks or so, and you'll never know she had an injury. As long as she's eating and drinking, she'll be just fine.

As others have stated, keep it clean and safe from flystrike and other chickens. That's really all you have to do. You can apply topical antibiotic twice a day if you want to, after the first week or so it may not be needed.

I had a hen that had the same type of injury, about the same size, in the same location. I sprayed with Vetericyn twice a day, kept her from other hens, put antibiotic cream on it twice a day for about a week until a good scab formed, and in about 6 weeks her skin had healed up, her feathers had all grown back in, there wasn't even a scar.

No stitching, no extra skin, no special rations. I think I gave her some Nutridrench and moist feed a time or two at the beginning. As long as she's eating and drinking, she'll be just fine.