Chicken keeps pecking the wound

[RussC]

So my chicken's crop split open and I sewed it back up and she will not leave the thing alone!! I have to sew it up again because she ripped it open. I need some way to keep her from getting at the injury. Any suggestions?

 

[mypicklebird]

I think you need to provide more info- why did her crop split open to start with? Is this an injury? Did you do a home job crop surgery? What are you using to sew this up with? In general, chickens pick at them selves when they are painful or itchy. If your chicken is picking at some sort of injury or home job surgery- she is likely in pain or the area is infected. Likely this wound/injury needs to be debrided properly & closed with absorbable sutures that are under the skin where they chicken cannot get at them + pain relief. Skin sutures can be used- but they are not always needed for crop surgeries. Ecollars exist for parrots, but I have never seen a chicken wearing one... I think it is better to address the wound properly and pain control- and the chicken will likely leave it alone. If too much scar tissue forms while this is trying to heal, you may end up with some sort of fistula instead of a functional crop. Can you get a vet involved?