by Seasonsgirl
My husband got home and found our missing chicken. 🙂 She is hurt and I need some ideas on how to help her or what to put on the wounds…. I have cleaned the areas where the feathers were pulled out, the one puncture wound, and scrape with boiled salt water that was cooled as I read to do. I then put on the antibiotic ointment and have her in the old dog crate resting with food, water (with electrolytes), and a perch. She drank a couple of times. (ok be prepared here comes the photo)
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated… Thank you …. (and sorry for the gross photo, but I thought it might help those of you who know what to do).
Seasonsgirl 
To the best of my knowledge, what you are doing is what you should do. I would add that you should place the dog crate in a location that is comfortably warm but not hot, darkened (no bright lights, etc), and in a quiet area of the house. You want her to be able to spend all her energy on healing, not keeping warm or cool, worrying about dogs, or being stressed by too much light or activity. “Warm, dark, quiet” is the mantra for rehabilitating wild birds. I imagine that it would apply to chickens as well. Good luck!! I’ll be sending healing thoughts to your pretty girl!
Thanks for the feedback she is in the basement laundery room that is a even tempature and we put some towles around the crate to keep it a little warmer. It gets some sun, but is not bright as there is two small windows with lace curtains. I hope this is what you are refering too. I really apperciate the advice 🙂
Is your little girl doing any better? Poor thing. You could always call a vet’s office. They may have something more that can help her heal.
She ate a little today and drank a little so that was good. I called the vet and they said I could bring her in to get antibiotics, but we are holding off as I heard you can’t eat the eggs for over 6 months after if she does start to lay again. The wounds don’t look infected, so they said she should be okay without them for now 🙂 Thanks for the ideas 🙂
So sorry for the pain and suffering of your pet chicken. Hope she heals – blessings to you for a solution for nursing her back to health
Thank you for the kind words. I will do my best as if she can get better and have a good life that would be great 🙂
I am so pleased you have found her. With your TLC I have no doubt she will recover very soon. get well soon Chick.
I am so happy we found her too. Your comment was sweet and kind of you thanks 🙂
So glad you found her!
Thank you I am too 🙂
Yes, it does sound like you’re doing exactly what you should. Don’t keep her away from her mates too long though. You want to make sure the puncture wound heals so there’s no blood on her (unfortunately her sisters are attracted to this in a not very nice way). Otherwise, when she’s got her appetite back, she should be good to go. After that trauma, it’s unlikely you’ll get any more eggs from her but she’s a very lucky thing to survive. Good luck and do keep us posted.
I will try to let the other girls see her after a few days while we are out in the yard with them. I will keep her away from them all day long or at night till the wounds heal completly and the feathers start to grow back as someone suggested. I hope she will lay again, I have found some that said their hens did, fingers crossed. 🙂
Oh, we are so sorry to hear this has happened to her. We have no suggestions for you but we do have a blogging friend who know quite a lot about chickens. You may know her if not her blog is here…http://tbnranch.com/ She may have suggestions for you should you need them. Sure hope that sweet girl heals up and will be okay. She must have been quite traumatized being injured like that. Hugs
I will go check that out thank you very much 🙂
I’m sorry about your pet’s injury. I hope she heals quickly! My advice is to keep that wound covered – you must keep germs out. Take 2 pieces of gauze – one square & one long enough to wrap around her body, because it won’t stay on otherwise. Spray the square piece of gauze or soak it down in Betadine or any other antibiotic. Dab a good amount of antibiotic ointment on the wound, press the square piece of gauze on it, then wrap the long piece of gauze around it & her body. Tape it at the ends w/ surgical tape so that it holds. You’ll have to do this daily, so that you can clean & look at the wound each day, to make sure it’s healing & not getting worse – in which case seek out a vet.
Oh, and plenty of cooing & love! 🙂
Thanks for the great advice 🙂 I really apperciate it, I will give that a try 🙂
The only thing my husband (Punkrdude) would add is not to re-introduce her to the other chickens until her wounds have healed and her feathers have started to grow back in. This may take two to three weeks. Good luck!
That is good to know. Thank you so much 🙂