I hope all the maimed chicken photos aren’t turning anyone’s stomach. It’s just that I find it fascinating that a bird that I thought I watched die in front of me not only lived, but has managed to live with no skin covering her skull for almost a month.
Further, after Cora’s injury I did lots of internet searching for “chicken head wound” and other, even more disgustingly descriptive terms. I was trying to gauge her prognosis compared with similar injuries, and just about everything I read reported that her odds weren’t good. The wound was so extensive, it was summer with its increased risk of fly-borne infection, and on and on.
But, I am here to report that Cora is still alive and seems more fit than I would have ever hoped. Here she is last weekend. You can still see what’s still exposed of her skull—it’s that bone seam near the top of her head. At this point her left ear has grown back on to her head as the wound closed.
And here she is today. The wound is filling in from the edges with nice pink new skin. She’s even regrowing feathers, on her head and where her wing was bloodied.
As you can see, her skull is almost completely covered.
I have doctored her every night since the attack with Neosporin, and sometimes in the morning. My gut is telling me that keeping the scabs moist is helping with the healing as well as deterring flies. Guess it must be working…
Hello, I found your blog while looking for help for one of my baby chicks.. she’s been scalped completely and has no skin to cover it back up.. was this the case with your hen? If so, how long did it take to start growing skin over the skull?
Her skin/tissue is completely gone from top of eyes to neck close to shoulders.
Thank you so much, any reply is super appreciated!
Hi, Chelsea! So sorry to hear about your chick–has it recovered?
My hen was also totally scalped and her skin was also open to the shoulders. I could easily see her skull. You can see her original injury here: http://bonafidefarm.com/2012/07/29/how-you-dont-want-to-find-your-chicken/
The several posts I wrote on Cora show a pretty accurate timeline of her healing. It’s been just about two months since her attack and she’s all healed up though she still has about a fingernail size bald patch on the side of her head where her feathers may or may not grow back.
Let me know if I can be of any more assistance. Good luck!
Hi. I had this same type of injury on one of my hens. The skin is gone and the hen doesnt or cant open her eyes. Also , she wont stand or walk. I examined her legs and seem fine. I wonder if she wont try to stand or walk because she cant see or if it affected her ears in some way that she cant get her balance? What caused this injury?