Chicken missing nostril - need respiratory system info.

[NewGuineaChooks]

This is a bantam mix hen, who got into a 3 hour battle with a young cockerel on Thursday. Most of her head feathers are plucked out, her comb horribly torn up.

I cleaned the injuries, have applied antibiotic ointment, and the head and comb are scabbed over and looking good. The swelling has gone down. She is in a 'hospital' cage, and eats, drinks and roosts normally, so that's OK.

However, the cockerel seems to also have gotten the side/front of her head when pecking her. The left nostril is no longer visible at all. Completely scabbed over.

Can a chicken breathe adequately through only one nostril? Or does this need to be remedied before she goes back to the more active flock lifestyle? Should I be actively soaking/debriding that part of the scab to keep the nostril from being permanently sealed from scar tissue?

Does someone have a diagram of a chicken respritory system...interior? As I try to 'scrub' the nostril open again, I'd like to be sure I'm not going to accidently damage some important brain function that is 3 mm from where I'm cleaning.

Chickens can't breathe through their mouths like we do, can they?

Thanks for any info ....

 

[soonerdog]

Ah, it will be fine. It can breathe through its mouth until it heals up. Down south when it is hot you should see how the chickens pant through their mouths.....uh beaks! She will be fine and heal in time....the main thing is she is eating and drinking and roosting...she just needs a little time and she will be good as new.

 

[NewGuineaChooks]

That's good to hear. i grew up in the tropics, and always thought the chickens were panting through their beaks, but I recently read (somewhere) that there was no connection between nose and beak, so I wanted to double check.

 

[SpottedCrow]

She should be okay, the scabs will come off at some point.