Three-week old chick scalped!

[azygous]

My little EE pullet Geobett evidently stuck her head through the mesh on the fence of her chick pen inside the larger run and got pecked to the point she had her skin lacerated and it's now slid down from her head. She seems fine and not in shock.

I cleaned the wound with hydrogen peroxide, letting it flush out under the flaps of skin. I then put Blu-kote on it, mostly to disguise the raw wound, which is about 3/4 inch wide.

Should I attempt to stitch the skin back together? I just read a post about a Silkie getting scalped, and I may have done the wrong thing by putting the Blu-kote on it. Can I put Neosporin over Blu-kote?

I was encouraged by the replies to that post that all pointed out how tough chickens are and how much they can survive. I sure hope this will be the case with little Geobett. I put her back with her three brooder mates since they don't seem to be interested in her head wound, and she would be more traumatized by being separated.

 

[galanie]

Were I to stitch the skin back I'd try to get the blu cote off first. I see no harm in putting neosporin on over blu cote. Just make sure it's not the kind with a pain medicine in it. I can't advise whether to stitch it back or not. I know that others have survived and seem to do fine after such a horrific injury but I've not experienced it myself.

But I do know what you mean about separating a chick from it's buddies being more stressful. I had one about that age get attacked and had a really bad gash on one hip so it couldn't walk or even move around. I ended up doing the same thing, putting it back with it's buddies because it was so stressed by being separated. Even if it was in a tiny cage inside the brooder, that wasn't good enough. So I set it up with food and water it could reach and none of the others bothered her.

 

[azygous]

What would I use to try to remove the Blu-kote?

She's being a real little trooper about this. She's subdued, but not fading. I'd like to try to stitch the would since it appears like it would heal better that way. The bottom part is still oozing moisture, though not bleeding.

 

[Eggcessive]

The blue in Blu-kote is gentian violet and you can't get that stuff off--it has to wear off. Just put some neosporin ointment over it. Stitching up dirty wounds can cause more infection as in an abcess a couple of days later.

 

[azygous]

Okay. For better or worse, I dabbed enough alcohol on the wound to remove most of the Blu-kote. Then I got out needle and cotton thread and put two stitches in her little pelt. I did a stitch on each end of the laceration, leaving the center open. But the flap now seems to have a better chance of knitting itself back together. I smeared Polysporin on the whole thing, and put her back in the brooder.

She let me know that getting poked with the needle hurt, but she was remarkably well-behaved during the operation. Now I just hope shock doesn't kill her. I think leaving the wound open a bit may lessen the chance of infection. I'll just keep the Polysporin on it and hope she heals.