Head trauma HELP!!!

[Debjay01]

Chicken has been sick and slow moving I went out today and she looks like the other chickens pecked her head really good not sure if her eyes are ok. Pictures are graphic if someone could tell me what I can do for her. I moved her I side and I am going to clean her up with baby soap and water not sure what else to do

 

[LandonE]

hi we had a hen who had all her skin on her entire neck completely ripped off and she ended up making it I'm positive she will end up fine but I would HIGHLY recommend going to Tractor supply or your local feed store and getting blukote its a blue wound healer and because its blue it repels the hens from pecking at her wounds more and If you have a separate pen or bin ideally inside so she doesn't get fly strike its where flys lay there eggs in wounds

 

[CoopBoots]

I'm so sorry!!

I'd try a good saline rinse (you can make your own if need be, just be careful of the nose as you don't want her to inhale), and probably slather in triple antibiotic ointment to keep it moist. Try to get her drinking without aspiration, some sugar water, Gatorade, or electrolytes might help if she's in shock. I'd separate for sure.

I'm most concerned that she's already been acting off/sick beforethis happened. That will complicate her likelihood to recover from this injury. Can you elaborate on her earlier symptoms--was she coughing or sneezing, sitting hunched with her bottom down, laying eggs at all?

 

[Debjay01]

hi we had a hen who had all her skin on her entire neck completely ripped off and she ended up making it I'm positive she will end up fine but I would HIGHLY recommend going to Tractor supply or your local feed store and getting blukote its a blue wound healer and because its blue it repels the hens from pecking at her wounds more and If you have a separate pen or bin ideally inside so she doesn't get fly strike its where flys lay there eggs in wounds

Ok thank you. I brought her into the house in my bathroom. So she can have peace and quiet. Anything I can put on the wounds I had bought some poultry spray that has tea tree oil in it with aloe but it seems to stings. I cleaned her up. Could I put coconut oil as a barrier to protect the skin

 

[nuthatched]

Ok thank you. I brought her into the house in my bathroom. So she can have peace and quiet. Anything I can put on the wounds I had bought some poultry spray that has tea tree oil in it with aloe but it seems to stings. I cleaned her up. Could I put coconut oil as a barrier to protect the skin

Plain old neosporin is fine or Vaseline. Skip the hen healer and blucote

 

[LandonE]

n make your own if need be, just be careful of the nose as you don't want her to inhale), and probably slather in triple antibiotic ointment to keep it moist. Try to get her drinking without aspiration, some sugar water, Gatorade, or electrolytes might help if she's in shock. I'd se

Ok thank you. I brought her into the house in my bathroom. So she can have peace and quiet. Anything I can put on the wounds I had bought some poultry spray that has tea tree oil in it with aloe but it seems to stings. I cleaned her up. Could I put coconut oil as a barrier to protect the skin

yea it stings most of the time you don't have to do blukote like the other guy said as long as you keep her inside the main benefit is that it helps keep the other hens from making it worse

 

[Debjay01]

I'm so sorry!!

I'd try a good saline rinse (you can make your own if need be, just be careful of the nose as you don't want her to inhale), and probably slather in triple antibiotic ointment to keep it moist. Try to get her drinking without aspiration, some sugar water, Gatorade, or electrolytes might help if she's in shock. I'd separate for sure.

I'm most concerned that she's already been acting off/sick beforethis happened. That will complicate her likelihood to recover from this injury. Can you elaborate on her earlier symptoms--was she coughing or sneezing, sitting hunched with her bottom down, laying eggs at all?

She was acting egg bound gave her an Epson salt bath and she layed an egg with a paper shell around it. Her butt was irritated That was a month ago. Then she was acting tired and face a little crusty and I treated her for worms with Vetrx smells like vapor rub. And kept her away from the flock till she looked better then I tried a mini fence inside my coop run for a week then the flock kept jumping on top and it was getting irritated so I thought I'd remove it since its been a week but she could not jump and get into the coop at night. But had a nesting box in the coop run for her. This morning she was fine and when I got home from work she was in the box hiding cover in blood looking like the pic I sent. Ihave treated her with just about everything I can think of.

 

[CoopBoots]

She was acting egg bound gave her an Epson salt bath and she layed an egg with a paper shell around it. Her butt was irritated That was a month ago. Then she was acting tired and face a little crusty and I treated her for worms with Vetrx smells like vapor rub. And kept her away from the flock till she looked better then I tried a mini fence inside my coop run for a week then the flock kept jumping on top and it was getting irritated so I thought I'd remove it since its been a week but she could not jump and get into the coop at night. But had a nesting box in the coop run for her. This morning she was fine and when I got home from work she was in the box hiding cover in blood looking like the pic I sent. Ihave treated her with just about everything I can think of.

Sometimes it's really hard to get to the root of an issue. I've had several that sorted themselves before I figured them out, and also some sudden death I never figured out, so I feel for you and your hen both. The egg issue definitely sounds like part of her problem... Is she eating oyster shell for more calcium currently, or are you giving something like Tums to help with the papery shells?

You said her face was crusty; did she seem to struggle breathing or maybe her comb and wattles seemed scabbed over? Fowl pox can make them look pretty bad on the fleshy parts of their faces.

As far as the VetRx goes, it doesn't appear to be labeled for use in worms (unless I missed it). If you still think that's part of her problem there are definitely some other medicines you could try for that specific issue...

Obviously right this second wound treatment is the priority so no need to stress over the other symptoms right now. Just thinking over what else might be going on with her health. But I'm guessing the flock has rejected her due to her other health issues and, unless she makes a full recovery from those, it's going to be quite difficult to safely reintegrate her even once her head is patched up. I have a side run for my special needs girls and, while it's obviously inconvenient to open and close multiple coops, it has meant weaker hens can live alongside everyone else and I'm not under pressure to do difficult reintegrations within a certain timeframe.

Sorry I don't have better advice to offer, but I'm rooting for you and your girl! Please let us know how she's getting on. And you hang in there too

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Chicken has been sick and slow moving I went out today and she looks like the other chickens pecked her head really good not sure if her eyes are ok. Pictures are graphic if someone could tell me what I can do for her. I moved her I side and I am going to clean her up with baby soap and water not sure what else to do View attachment 3871820

She was acting egg bound gave her an Epson salt bath and she layed an egg with a paper shell around it. Her butt was irritated That was a month ago. Then she was acting tired and face a little crusty and I treated her for worms with Vetrx smells like vapor rub.

For facial and head injury use saline to clean/rinse the wounds and eyes. Gently open the eyes and clean them out. Apply Triple Antibiotic Ointment to the head wounds and in the eyes or you can get Terramycin eye ointment to put in the eyes if you wish.

I would not use BluKote around the face/eyes.

You mention she had been feeling unwell and a while back she was struggling with soft/paper eggs?

She may have some type of reproductive problems going on, it's hard to know. You can also give her 1 Calcium Citrate +D3 tablet once daily to see if that helps with production.

She was attacked by her flock, so likely she's been ailing for a while.

Wait until she's healed up completely before thinking of beginning reintroducing her back to the flock.