URGENT: Torn Skin and a Need for Advice

[BitterSweetCitrus]

About six days ago my girl was mauled and I have been tending to her wounds, one of her injuries was the first layer of skin being ripped off her. What I didn’t notice was she has a very deep flap hiding the second layer of skin that is detached from the second. It looks quite nasty. Our vet is always trigger happy on culling girls so I would like a second opinion (he tells us to cull our girls at any minor injury ). Would it be possible to but back the detached flap hiding the second layer of skin and clean and treat her. If so how should I do it, considering it will likely bleed quite a bit. I’m willing to pay for antibiotics or anything she needs to fix her up, but I want to know if it’s possible to cut off the flap in the pictures, because it’s almost impossible to clean and treat inside (I’ve been trying). Everywhere else has healed amazing, and she’s acting normal.

 

[MysteryChicken]

What part of the bird is this, & what have you been doing as treatment for it?

 

[BitterSweetCitrus]

What part of the bird is this, & what have you been doing as treatment for it?

This is directly under her wing, I’ve been cleaning with alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, applying medicinal honey and triple antibiotic cream and then wrapping it

 

[BitterSweetCitrus]

This is directly under her wing, I’ve been cleaning with alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, applying medicinal honey and triple antibiotic cream and then wrapping it

To clarify I was doing this for every other wound, the covered flap didn’t receive the care as I didn’t realize how deep it was until today

 

[MysteryChicken]

This is directly under her wing, I’ve been cleaning with alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, applying medicinal honey and triple antibiotic cream and then wrapping it

It needs to air heal, so it can heal properly.
I'd just give it a Daily cleaning, & an application of Triple Antibiotic ointment 1-2 times a day, 3 if necessary.

No alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide. Those are only good for a cleaning once noticed, so continued use can impair healing.

 

[townchicks]

After six days it is likely that the flap of detached skin has already begun to die. You can try to flush out underneath the flap with betadine or saline and get her on antibiotics and see what happens. Any dead skin should be trimmed off as it appears. Keep the wound covered with Neosporin keep her warm and dry, away form flies. Stop using the hydrogen peroxide now, it is fine for initial cleaning but will delay healing. Chickens can heal from some horrific wounds, but it takes time.

 

[MysteryChicken]

One thing that may help, is removal of dead tissue, & laying healthy tissue together. This should help encourage the skin to heal back on to the muscle.

This maybe tricky, & tedious, depending on what part of the bird is injured though.

 

[LuciferRoo]

How is she behaving?
I would keep a very close eye on her energy level. If she start declining, get her on antibiotics immediately, if she is not already on on them. However, I would,not necessarily start them now if she is not on them.
I had a hen with what looked like a wound all the way through the skin and she recovered with just me cleaning her wound and applying Neosporin it and also keeping her separated from other chickens while she healed.

 

[BitterSweetCitrus]

It needs to air heal, so it can heal properly.
I'd just give it a Daily cleaning, & an application of Triple Antibiotic ointment 1-2 times a day, 3 if necessary.

No alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide. Those are only good for a cleaning once noticed, so continued use can impair healing.

Thank you for the advice about hydrogen peroxide and alcohol! The issue lies in the fact that the spot in the picture is completely covered by live skin, I’m concerned about it staying covered and if the skin is removed, how to go about it

 

[BitterSweetCitrus]

After six days it is likely that the flap of detached skin has already begun to die. You can try to flush out underneath the flap with betadine or saline and get her on antibiotics and see what happens. Any dead skin should be trimmed off as it appears. Keep the wound covered with Neosporin keep her warm and dry, away form flies. Stop using the hydrogen peroxide now, it is fine for initial cleaning but will delay healing. Chickens can heal from some horrific wounds, but it takes time.

Definitely have to get saline to flush her out and will stop on the hydrogen peroxide! Most of the skin seems live still (im not sure how as though it’s connected to most of the other 1st layer skin, but the portion is not attached to the actual body). The skin flap seems to be inhibiting healing and I’m scared on how to remove it