Chicken with wing ripped off?

I’m caring for a friends chickens for two weeks and on the first day, I arrive to discover a young chicken with a wing ripped off. She appears to be eating and drinking. I’m familiar with basic chicken wound care but a wing bone and some flesh is still left. Should I be doing anything about that? Or just keep it clean and leave it be?

Chances of that healing without a major infection killing it are low given the exposed bone/joint.  If it was my chicken I'd put it down.  But you should ask the owner before you do that.

Do you have any Blue Kote?



The chicken can survive if it doesn't get infected, but Andrew may be right.

If the chicken is not to suffer a painful death from infection the remaining stub needs to be amputated and the skin sutured shut.  If this can't be done it should be put down, in my opinion.

Blu-Kote is a good idea. It will help protect the wound as well as keep the other birds from picking at it. I would at least try to save the bird, but if infection does develop, then it will have to be put down. Bigger question: what needs to be done to protect them better? That predator will be back. Good luck!

Wing ripped off is indicative of raccoon. I've found chickens sitting placidly on the ground with a leg chewed off to the hip after raccoon attack.  It's amazing what chickens can endure.

Tyler Ludens wrote:If the chicken is not to suffer a painful death from infection the remaining stub needs to be amputated and the skin sutured shut.  If this can't be done it should be put down, in my opinion.

Only problem with that is chickens are usually not valued enough, for very rational reasons, to be worth the vet bill for that.  If the OP has the skills to do that it might be worth trying, but otherwise, barring the owner being wealthy enough to be ok with the vet bill, it most likely should be put down.