Black Cut/wound

[nixon_family4]

One of our hens (RIR) has a large black wound on her back. We think it may be because she is our rooster's favorite lady, but we aren't entirely sure. We have sectioned him off separately, since a few other hens have balding spots on their backs where he pins them down, but none of them have gaping wounds like the first one. It looks like a cut, but black, with black all around it. It's dry, and I don't see any blood, or any maggots.

We're usually pretty good about checking them out once in a while, with out invading their space too much, but I can't give a good estimate of how long it has been there. We are spraying the spot down with iodine, and she doesn't act any different, or at least not any different as far as I can tell (the hubs is the head chicken person around here, and he's out of town). With so many chickens in there (eh, maybe about 12 since we put the youngest batch out with the rest of them) I can't tell who it is, but one or two of our layers aren't laying every day. That could also be because they are getting on in age.

I can't keep the rooster separate for long, as I feel he is in too small of a space for his size, and when he's not harassing the hens, he does a good job of keeping them safe. Any idea what it could be? Or how to best treat it? Thanks for any advice!

 

[BrattishTaz]

You can apply neosporin without pain meds or polysporin to the wound. If you start to smell infection, peroxide will often help break the scabbing open so it can be drained. You may want to consider hen saddles also. Good luck.

And

 

[nixon_family4]

Hen saddles? I'll have to google that, and thank you! How would I know if I smelled infection? Or rather, what does chicken infection smell like?

 

[crawfordmama]

I'm going to order a couple saddles from My Pet Chicken. They are inexpensive, or you can find patterns to make your own.

If her would is infected, you'll know it! It would smell like rotting flesh. One of my girls has a black puncture wound on her back from a fox attack last week. I've been cleaning it with diluted Povidone and packing it with Neosporin each day.

Hope she heals quickly!

 

[BrattishTaz]

Quote:
Oh you'll know.

 

[nixon_family4]

I made a chicken saddle today! What a neat idea! Necessity is the mother of invention, they say.

i also love your signature...ROOSTERS! Run! It's the opposite around here, all the hens run out to meet us and to peck at my feet if I'm wearing sandals...I guess they think my toes are worms!


Edit: On a side note, the rooster has been sectioned off for about 3 days now, and they ladies look much better. Some even have feathers back! Only one is cut, but there were 3 others that were getting more than their daily allotment of rooster. I'm going to have my 5 year old catch one in just a bit and try putting the saddle on her. If I can, I'll post a picture.

 

[BrattishTaz]

Quote:
You are more creative than me then. I can't sew on a button.

Good luck getting it on her. I've not yet had to do it. My pullets always turn into roos, hence the sig.

Is your rooster still young? I've heard they slow down with age.

I hope your injured girl is doing better.

 

[nixon_family4]

The girl child did not catch me a chicken, in fact by the time I went out there, the kids were in bed. I will attempt to catch one today and give it a go! The saddle turned out way better than anything else I've ever made, lol, even the square napkins! The bread maker broke (by broke I mean it caught on fire) yesterday, so now I'm off to thrift stores to find another! One day roosy the rooster will be allowed out again and the ladies will be wearing "dresses". Roosy is about a year or so, btw.

 

[BrattishTaz]

Oh wow. I never even considered our breadmaker catching on fire!

I hope there was no damage to anything else.

Roosy is still in his prime. Maybe filing his nails and spurs would help minimize the damage to the girls.

I would love to see pics of your hen once you get her all saddled up.

 

[nixon_family4]

I don't know why I didn't think of filing his nails! That kind of stuff is usually the hubs job, but Roosy is a big scaredy-chicken any way, so he may not be too hard to hold down, lol.
The breadmaker didn't damage anything but the bread maker and my pride when I had to tell my husband that I almost burned the house down! He thought it was a riot. I'm wondering if the heating element could be used to make a yogurt incubator, since I do it in the oven, and can't use the oven if I'm cooking yogurt in it...