Yikes! Large wound on hen.

[rebrascora]

This is almost certainly rooster damage. It may be time to trim his spurs.
Good luck nursing her back to recovery. Hens are tough and she should heal fine with a bit of tlc, but you need to keep her away from the rooster until it is completely fixed.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

My roosters are young. Only 9-10 months old. They barely have spurs. I wondered if she had a smaller injury and a roo caught it on accident and ripped it open.

You can see his spurs here. Not the best picture but I wasn't trying to get the spurs specifically.

 

[rebrascora]

I would guess it was probably one of their claws then. Juvenile males are often not very balanced and it's easy for them to slip and accidentally gouge a hen or pullet particularly in that area.
How is she doing? It's always difficult isolating a bird that isn't acting sick, as confinement stresses them out. Might be better to put the boys in a bachelor pad, so that she can return to the flock. It's in a place that shouldn't be noticeable to the other hens, so unlikely they would bother the wound. Good luck with her.

 

[Gypsi]

I just do peroxide then neosporin and make sure injured bird isn't picked on and mine have healed ok. I learned to make rooster jackets for the hens over that one

 

[chickenmomma30]

I had a hen attacked by a raccoon that created a large chest wound. I took her to the vet but they said there was not much they could do because they believed her air sacs were punctured anyway much different when you than yours however I found that birds are very hardy. I used a combination of Neosporin and rooster booster poultry spray on her wound twice a day for two weeks. Everyone said to keep her separated from flock. However she was so depressed I honestly thought she was going to die from sadness more than the injury. Her feathers kind of concealed the wound so I didn't even put that messy purple lotion on. I simply treated her and put her back with the flock and it's been a month and a half since her attack and she is healthy as ever. I hope you have the same luck but that spray did wonders. I got it at tractor supply for maybe $17.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

I'll keep in her inside tonight and part of tomorrow while I get better supplies. Think I'll get the chlorhexidine if I can find it and fashion her a rooster jacket then let her back with the flock. That way it will be kept clean and protected with hopefully less stress on her.

Thank You All for the advice and shared experiences.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

My first foray into chicken fashion. LOL I made her a saddle so she could go be with the flock. She was making such a ruckus in the basement the dogs were barking. She wasn't eating either so I know it was stressing her out. I got vetericyn spray for her wound. I made a double strap or cross strap saddle as the sides are larger and longer to make sure her wound is covered. She doesn't seem to mind it at all. Both boys thought she looked good as they both did their little dance for her. (She said no way to both. LOL) Went right out and ate so she is already happier.

 

[MrsBrooke]

Judging from the photos and considering the depth of that *puncture* wound, I doubt that is a rooster slice or pecking. That looks like a stab wound... and since I read there was a previous hawk attack, it's totally possible she almost got grabbed.

I'm thrilled your mama is doing well. Just do your best to keep the wound clean, watch for her going off food and water, and I hope she heals up quickly!!

She's so pretty with her saddle on!

MrsB

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Her wound really looks like she got skinned. It's not deep at all. The skin had pulled away a little and when I inspected her yesterday I got a little braver and removed some of the lose dying skin. She handled it well. Gave me the stink eye but didn't try to escape. When she wouldn't eat this morning I knew I had to get her back with the flock. Her saddle is working well but I would modify the shape a little next time. I did have to shorten the elastic too. But it's not bothering her at all. She hopped right up onto the roost.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

So my girl is acting fine. But I'm a worry wart. Her skin is pulling away at the bottom edge of her wound. Her feathers were stuck in it today but instead of pulling them off and reopening the dry section they created, I clipped the feathers from her skin. If that makes sense...so when her heathly skin moves the feathers will no longer pull.

I happened to be watching a vet show and a dog had a bad sun burn.... I mean 3rd degree looking. Anyway, the vet said put sugar on it. The granules help form a structure for the skin to regrow. I tried searching here and didn't find anyone using that method. I know raw unfiltered honey is used on wounds so sugar doesn't seem too far out.

In my searching people have said they have packed wounds and changed the packing to remove anything dead that sloughed of during healing.

I want to do what's best for her. Her saddle is protecting her wound from dirt and roosters. I've sprayed it with veterycin 2x a day for 2 days now. I'm battling the wet vs dry wound healing.

Thoughts? (Other then I'm crazy. LOL)