A week after putting the chicken saddle on Mable I went out to the coop, and found her crouched in the corner shaking. I bent down to find her neck a bloody mess. The other chickens (I'm guessing it was a group of them) had pecked her neck and plucked her feathers out. I immediately put her in a cat crate and brought her into my CICU (Chicken Intensive Care Unit). I put a gauze with Furazone (an antibiotic) on her neck, fed her some warm oatmeal, and then left her alone to calm down a bit. I had to calm down, too!
Shannon came home after picking up another heat lamp for her, and we doctored her up.
I put a gauze with vet wrap on the wound, and we set her up in a vacant horse stall. We put a bale of hay down, a heat lamp, food, water and some goodies. She remained still for several days, and I continued to clean her wound. After day 4 she started getting up and walking around. I had taken the vet wrap off at this point so she could peck the ground comfortably. I fed her a high protein feed, scrambled eggs (strange, but true!) and lots of fresh fruit. I think she likes being the center of our attention!
After a week, I see that not only is her wound looking so much better (look at that nice scab!) but her feathers are starting to come back in on her back, wings and neck.
Those dark grey things are the feather follicles coming through. I will keep her quarantined until she is completely healed. I'll keep you updated on our sweet Mable's recovery!
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