Need an experienced opinion on a late wound care.

[Flora Vale Fowl]

We had a girl get scalped by the rooster. Upon review we learned this happens. We were out of town. Our chicken sitter covered it in Blu-kote and put her in our isolation pen, attached to the run. She has healed up nicely, the skin grew back and feathers came in. The "nursery" as we call has an wire wall and the birds can see each other. We've integrated before with it and expect no real problems with that.

Here is the issue. It was big wound. By the time we got back, starting to heal. With the mass of feathers and blu-kote we missed "pendant" of skin at the top, for want of a better term. A little lump of skin hanging out, 3/4 of an inch long. I reminds me of the little wattles of skin on goats. It is living skin and has tiny neck feathers. Right at the top of the head, behind the ear lobe. What we should have done was spread it out and bind it to the wound, so it could reattach. What has happened is the skin grew up under it and healed, and now she has this thing and I worry the others will peck at it.

So. Should we cut it off?

Note. These aren't pets. While we name our birds, we also slaughter. In fact, this one is known as Ms. Betty and is one of our most social and pleasant hens. Another bird, older, less social, might have not had the trouble put into it. Pays to be the nice hen.

 

[microchick]

Interesting.

Is the skin flap a pedicle like a polyp? If it has a stalk to it I would be tempted to tie it off at the base with some dental floss and let nature take its course with it. It should basically die, turn black, dry up and fall off. If it is a flap though I would be worried about bleeding should you decide to just cut it off. That skin may be very vascular.

Poor baby. At least you didn't have to get a little chicken toupe for her.

 

[Flora Vale Fowl]

Oh no. It's a hunk of living skin. It will bleed. I am certain of it. She won't like, neither will I, but she will certainly feel a lot of pain, etc. It's the size of wattle. So, imagine cutting one of those off! With feathers. But the resulting wound will only be a half inch big. We can stop the bleeding and keep it clean. It would be nothing considering what she went through. Heck, she is lucky we didn't stew her! See the above, "Pays to be the social hen" bit. Very friendly. When on range only one that will come up to us, chat and talk at us, and eat from hands.

 

[microchick]

Would it be possible for you to ice the area down before you snip? That would possibly cut down the pain for her and also the blood flow to the scalp area. True on the fact that you can probably control the bleeding with direct pressure, but ice might also help.