Turkey ripped open by raccoon

[Popcorn Mcgee]

My husband and I have been fighting with a raccoon and fox all spring. He finally got the raccoon, but not until after it killed 2 ducks and mangled 2 turkeys of my sons for fair this year. He has back up turkeys to take, but I'd hate to lose more birds. One turkey has his skin hanging off the top of his chest about the size of a small lime. There is a thin layer of transparent tissue still over the muscle and there is no bleeding, but he has this thicker skin hanging from the wound with the feathers/shaft of feathers in it. We flushed the wound with peroxide, sprayed it with antiseptic, then I sprayed it with blue coat from tsc. Will this heal on its own? Should I trim this hanging skin with feathers off? Should I wash it and try to reattach it somehow? Will a vet be able to fix this, or can I do this on my own?

 

[MysteryChicken]

My husband and I have been fighting with a raccoon and fox all spring. He finally got the raccoon, but not until after it killed 2 ducks and mangled 2 turkeys of my sons for fair this year. He has back up turkeys to take, but I'd hate to lose more birds. One turkey has his skin hanging off the top of his chest about the size of a small lime. There is a thin layer of transparent tissue still over the muscle and there is no bleeding, but he has this thicker skin hanging from the wound with the feathers/shaft of feathers in it. We flushed the wound with peroxide, sprayed it with antiseptic, then I sprayed it with blue coat from tsc. Will this heal on its own? Should I trim this hanging skin with feathers off? Should I wash it and try to reattach it somehow? Will a vet be able to fix this, or can I do this on my own?

Pictures will help us, help you?

 

[Popcorn Mcgee]

So here's a picture, but it's hard to see with the blue coat on it.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would stop the peroxide and the blukote. Peroxide can prevent healing, and the blukote is for minor scrapes and cuts. I would use either Hibiclens mixed with water half strength, saline, or Vetricyn to clean, and then coat it with plain Neosporin or Polysorin generic ointment. Another choice would be to use Medihoney. Separate in a crate or pen until healed over. It can take a few weeks for the tissue to come together. This time of year raccoons are raising and feeding cubs, so set out a trap around your secure coop. One summer we trapped 10 raccoons in about 2 weeks around our barn.

 

[Popcorn Mcgee]

We have had traps galore set out for over a month and aren't trapping anything. We bait them with marshmallows, fried chicken, trout, tuna fish, smoked oysters, cat food, and yet we watch them walk right past the traps on the trail cams. We've had birds for around 9 years and never have we been so badly assaulted. Where do I find hibiclens, vetricin, and medihoney?

 

[Eggcessive]

Hibiclens is found in most pharmacies or Walmart first aid aisle, vetericyn in feed stores, and medihoney on amazon. Saline can be homemade 1 tsp of salt added to 16 ounces water, boiled on low simmer to sterilize.

 

[Popcorn Mcgee]

Also, what should I do about that flap of skin hanging? Should I cut it off or leave it hanging? It's beginning to harden a little.

 

[Eggcessive]

The dried flap may shrivel up by itself or you could trim it off. I would not be too agressive, so there is not much bleeding.

 

[Popcorn Mcgee]

I really appreciate your great advice. Thank you!

 

[Popcorn Mcgee]

Hello. I just want to give an update because it helps me when I read other posts and they update after their initial incident. My son's turkey miraculously regenerated skin and feathers... I'm not sure how that happened, but it did. His skin with feathers was ripped off and hanging while the breast meat was exposed. I never did trim off the hanging flesh. I just kept it clean and dry and I only sprayed it twice with an antiseptic and blue coat to hide the red. It appears that the blue coat sprayed wound shrunk up and the undamaged skin shrunk and closed up over the exposed breast. The original blue coated scab has now fallen off and there is no evidence that anything ever happened other than a few purple feathers from the blue coat. It is amazing! Here's a picture.