28 Degrees Too Cold for Ointment?

[Anon112]

I have a hen with a bad slash on her back/side (under her wing). This injury happened sometime on Friday. I brought her inside on Friday night and she spent Friday night and Saturday night inside. Today I put her out with the flock and she will be with a little group of hens only tomorrow. I kept her in a part of my house that is not really heated---probably in the 40s in that part of the house.

Outside right now it is in the mid-30s, but into the morning it is supposed to drop into the upper 20s. Most of tomorrow temps will be in the upper 20s.

While she was inside, I was applying betadine and then triple antibiotic ointment to her injury twice a day, which does seem to be healing but is still "open"/"wet" and has not scabbed over.

Is it a good idea or a bad idea to apply more antibiotic tomorrow morning? On the one hand, the injury is under her wing, so not very exposed to wind. But I also don't want to make her chilled by putting something wet on her body.

Thoughts? (I do not have a little shirt or something I can put over her, and the injury is in an awkward place to try and bandage over it).

 

[Debbie292d]

As long as she's eating/drinking fine, I'd let her back out with the rest, but I wouldn't put that on at night. I'd put it on in the morning when she's mobile. Under her wing the other chickens can't see it so that part's a good thing, and also, it'll stay warm.

 

[Anon112]

As long as she's eating/drinking fine, I'd let her back out with the rest, but I wouldn't put that on at night. I'd put it on in the morning when she's mobile. Under her wing the other chickens can't see it so that part's a good thing, and also, it'll stay warm.

I put some on her around 4:30pm and then put her out with her flock. It's going to be in the mid-30s until about 3am when it takes a turn for the upper 20s as a cold front moves in.

So you think that even with temps in the upper 20s (which it will be all day tomorrow), she'll be okay with some ointment in/on the wound?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a hen with a bad slash on her back/side (under her wing). This injury happened sometime on Friday. I brought her inside on Friday night and she spent Friday night and Saturday night inside. Today I put her out with the flock and she will be with a little group of hens only tomorrow. I kept her in a part of my house that is not really heated---probably in the 40s in that part of the house.

Outside right now it is in the mid-30s, but into the morning it is supposed to drop into the upper 20s. Most of tomorrow temps will be in the upper 20s.

While she was inside, I was applying betadine and then triple antibiotic ointment to her injury twice a day, which does seem to be healing but is still "open"/"wet" and has not scabbed over.

Is it a good idea or a bad idea to apply more antibiotic tomorrow morning? On the one hand, the injury is under her wing, so not very exposed to wind. But I also don't want to make her chilled by putting something wet on her body.

Thoughts? (I do not have a little shirt or something I can put over her, and the injury is in an awkward place to try and bandage over it).

If it's under the wing, swabbing with the Betadine during the day may be sufficient. The wing is pretty good about holding in moisture. I'd wait until it warmed up slightly though.

I wouldn't bandage.