Injured toe care and not laying

Sunday afternoon my husband and I noticed a bit of blood in the shavings of our coop and hunted down the injured party. Turned out to be a toe nail injury, bleeding pretty steadily so we must have caught it right away but we have no idea how it happened.

We washed her up and applied pressure but couldn't stop the bleeding so we used some superglue and then bandaged, then vet wrapped, and the hen (now named Dorothy) wouldn't stop pecking at it so we used some duct tape to secure the vet wrap to itself and make it uninjestible.

Now we haven't changed the dressing on her toe since Sunday afternoon because I'm afraid taking it all off will cause the bleeding to restart. Should I be changing the dressing and washing the toe and if so how often?

Also, she hasn't laid an egg since being in the infirmary and I know that frostbite she is suffering from can affect her production as well as the stress of being in this crate alone, but as a chicken that usually lays everyday, when should I start to worry about her not laying?

Thanks for any help.

Well she should start laying after about a day or two after u reintroduce her and I had a chicken that had the same thing happen I don't know how it happened but one day I noticed her toe nail was just dangling there it eventually fell off and regrew but sadly after it came back she sadly passed away of no unown cause the flock is just not the same without her I would change it every day to keep it clean to heal

amdk said:

Sunday afternoon my husband and I noticed a bit of blood in the shavings of our coop and hunted down the injured party. Turned out to be a toe nail injury, bleeding pretty steadily so we must have caught it right away but we have no idea how it happened.

We washed her up and applied pressure but couldn't stop the bleeding so we used some superglue and then bandaged, then vet wrapped, and the hen (now named Dorothy) wouldn't stop pecking at it so we used some duct tape to secure the vet wrap to itself and make it uninjestible.

Now we haven't changed the dressing on her toe since Sunday afternoon because I'm afraid taking it all off will cause the bleeding to restart. Should I be changing the dressing and washing the toe and if so how often?

Also, she hasn't laid an egg since being in the infirmary and I know that frostbite she is suffering from can affect her production as well as the stress of being in this crate alone, but as a chicken that usually lays everyday, when should I start to worry about her not laying?

Thanks for any help.

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Do you have any photos?

I would check the toe injury (unwrap it), apply some vetericyn or plain neosporin and see if she can get along without bandaging (depending on how it looks) since you have her separated and can monitor the foot. For future reference to help stop bleeding you can apply flour, cornstarch or styptic powder to a wound.

You mention she has frostbite as well? Where is the frostbite located? Just the comb or could it have been on the foot as well?
Stress/injury can sometimes cause them to not lay.
Does she seem otherwise perky or is she lethargic, any other symptoms?

Roada red;
Are you saying she may not lay the entire time I have her away from her coopmates? I wasn't planning on reintroducing her until I know the toe isn't going to be a problem so that could be several more days, could it harm her to not lay for so long?

Wyorp rock;
I don't have any photos of the toe. We were a bit frantic as it was bleeding heavily and wouldn't stop, I didn't even think to take any. I had a meat bird with a toe issue in the summer and we kept it with fresh dressings (bleeding wasn't her issue so changing was easy) to keep it clean and out of the poop so I just assumed that would be best here. I'll unwrap tomorrow and assess and try for some photos.

As for the frostbite, it's mostly on the comb and a bit on the wattles, no evidence on her feet. She's had the frostbite for several days but was still laying up until being brought inside with the toe injury. I've been giving her some cabbage leaves to pick at to stave off boredom from being inside which she seems to take or leave. She certainly doesn't seem lethargic at all and she knows what's what when the Mealworms come out. She wants to roost on the side of the bin she's in and check out her surroundings and watch my pets goings on but I have to be careful because we heat with wood and if she flies towards the wood stove we'll have a bigger problem on those feet or a cooked or flaming chicken, I'm not sure of the ignition temp of feathers, so she's mostly contained to the crate unless she's got direct supervision.

I've been trying to keep her fairly calm and give her the same long nights she gets outside via a blanket over her crate.

She possibly could lay until then but I onesly don't really think u need to keep her separated that long unless she is being pecked on or the others are bothering it but u could get blu Kote at tractor supply or even some farm supply stores have it its blue to keep others from pecking at it since it would be red then so change the bandage once a day or every other day and it should heal

After several days in the infirmary, Dorothy's toe was looking better and her comb was looking much better. Some mild blistering and nice pink colouration coming back. Dorothy had been reintroduced to the flock and had been picked on a little of course but nothing too serious and we spoiled everyone with extra scratch and veggies to keep them busy and hopefully cut down on bullying. The temps haven't been especially warm but not cold enough to warrant needing the heater on again.

This morning after hubby let the girls out and brought them fresh water, I stopped in to see them on my way to work and noticed a chicken laying on the chicken wire at the roost that covers the droppings board. I forgot that I was dressed for work and ran around to the man door and hauled myself up into the coop and found Dorothy laying there lifeless.

Having had meat birds before I was expecting to find a massacre and was shoving other chickens out of my way on the way to her assuming they had done this to her, picking on her until she bled and then eating at her until she died from her injuries. But she was nearly perfect. A few little scrapes from being pecked but nothing red and no blood. I took her out and laid her on the nest box lid to inspect her and found no obvious signs of trauma. Her comb and toe had still been healing she wasn't egg bound even though she had only laid 1 egg all week in isolation. She was just gone.

I hadn't named any on my hens for fear I would get too attached. I love them all as a group but I couldn't tell you who is who except now for Dorothy and the only reason she had a name is because on her first night inside I joked to my husband wondering if the others were wondering where Dorothy had disappeared to, Dorothy being the first name to come to mind. Now I'm glad I don't have names for all of then because I keep having to fight back tears at work over this chicken that a week and a half ago I wouldn't have been able to pick out of the bunch.

I keep wondering what I missed. What I did wrong. What I should know for next time. And feeling so bad that I didn't get it right in time for her.

If anyone has any insights I would appreciate it. Thanks.

Maybe she had a stroke or heart attack there common in chickens that's he only thing I. An think of since she was healing and getting better mine all have names and have a folder of there names what color of leg band how old they are what diseases they had in the past I'm so sorry for ur loss but I wouldn't stop naming them they aren't any different than a dog or a cat they deserve a name well that's what I believe

Thanks Roada Red. My husband was concerned she may have frozen to death but it was not that cold and like I said, she was still warm when I found her, wasn't even in rigor yet. Her autopsy will have to wait until I get home tomorrow afternoon and then we'll decide what to do with her body. It's far too cold to dig her a grave.

Yes I to have had to dig a grave in the winter this year the ground was froze solid it didn't take long but she is under the ground now and that was the one that my rooster liked the most he was always on that one she dies at night and when I found her she was frozen so good luck again so sorry

I'm sorry for your loss
I don't think you did anything wrong.
She may have had a heart attack like @Roada Red has suggested or could have fallen from the roost wrong, etc. Sometimes everything is done right and they just pass on.
You did well taking care of her.