- Thread starter
- #21
darlingdarla
Songster
Question, how do I keep it clean if it isn't bandaged? Just wondering. I've been feeling like she needs to get out of the bandage but I am worried about infection.With a nice scab, which that looks to be, I would not bandage it. Dry, Air, Clean. Maybe you could put a "look no touch" type of run out with her friends visible? Low, clean, lots of feed and water accessable with a bantam bud you mentioned? Birds will pick on an injured flock mate, and pick the scab, and keep her from the feed and water -- I wouldn't put her back until she is mobile and the stump is pretty well healed.
What I am going to do is pair her with my two youngest and tamest bantams in my second smaller coop and transition her to living there. It is closer to the ground and though I need to make some adjustments so she can get up the ramp I think she'll end up doing well in there. She'll be where the other birds can look at her but not bother her for a while before she's back with with flock during the day.
Bit of an update: she is doing well. I gave her the final penicillin injection today. She is moving around more and not soiling herself anymore, although she still spends most of her time laying down.
Her stump pretty much looks the same, but still no redness or swelling so that's good.
I'm going to keep updating this thread for a while as she recovers, I'm hoping to move her outside into her new accommodations by next week and work from there.
I brought her out into the yard and let her walk around with the rest of the flock earlier, I threw some scratch on the ground and she came running over so fast I couldn't believe it. She is still pecking at the birds below her and they seem to remember that she is the boss, and most of the hens above her leave her be as they are part of my original flock of old ladies. But, one hen decided to make trouble, she is a two year old black copper marans no one is very fond of. Everyone was foraging just fine, and then the marans decided to fight my old lady full out. I intervened, but not before my one-legged old lady fought back against the younger bird with no hesitation. I put the younger bird away while everyone foraged since she was the only one causing trouble, eventually my old lady laid down and I brought her back in. All in all she had a good day and proved pretty resoundingly she is capable of defending her position in the pecking order.