Barred Rock- Is it safe to cut her feathers around the wound?

[HenJo]

Is it safe to do so, she has an injury and the feather are sticking to it and its' starting to stink? any advice on how to take care of the stinch and cutting the feathers.
I dont know what to do and I really dont want to put her down

 

[mypicklebird]

Search the forum for bite wound, wound care, dog attack, hurt chicken ect
there are many many descriptions on how to do home care for an injured bird, from making your own saline flush, to various otc topicals and systemic antibiotics, and more.

But yes, cut or pull feathers away and out of the wound, they are just trapping garbage in there. Bad smell = bacterial infection or decaying flesh. You can't see the wound if there are feathers in the way, so you can't even tell how bad the wound is. Cut the feathers with a pair of scissors, or kitchen shears, or nippers- something sharp- it doesn't matter. Or just pull them out by grabbing them at the base, taking care not to tear the skin.

If you cannot do home care for her- you need to take her to a vet or cull her. Stinky wound will just fester and get worse, and she may die, unless it is very superficial. If it is still warm where you are, stinky wounds will attract flies = maggots. Which is really unpleasant to deal with, and you will likely end up with a dead hen.