Comb Tear

[Featherlittye]

Hi, I noticed my chicken had some blood on her head and a torn comb yesterday. I couldn't really wash her head very well, so I dribbled hydrogen peroxide on it. Then I purchased a triple antibiotic ointment and put it on her cut, though it's not incredibly clean.

The tear is pretty significant and it's in the back of her comb, right at the base of where the comb meets the head. It's practically through half of the comb--hard to describe.

The vet won't be in until Friday, and I'd rather be able to treat this somehow.

We only have a small group of chickens--3 and I highly doubt the other two will "attack" her or peck her comb. They are practically free range and I've never seen any evidence of them pecking each other at all.

I have been separating her from the others during the day though--just in case they pick on the wound or the ointment.

I don't want to cut it off myself--will it heal with the triple antibiotic ointment?

I also got some tetracycline powder--will that help keep the wound from getting infected if I have her drink it?

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

I had one girl that got into it with another girl and got her wattle ripped. I don't have these pics in my pc anymore, but I do have one in my photo bucket account...

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k533/twocrowsranch/DSCN1741.jpg

I used Blu-kote to stop any infection and eventually I had to just brave up and cut that thing off as the other girls were pulling on it and it was getting infected. Blu-kote is a powerful antibiotic/fungal, it dries quick and sticks a long time. And, the other birds can't see blood. If you use things like neosprorin, which works well, but crud sticks to the neosporin. Apply the Blu-kote daily for a week or until it heals.

My girls wattle healed up completely and has a chunk out of it. You may or may not have to do it to your girls comb. Let it heal on it's own first and see what happens as it goes along.

Good luck!