Complicated situation... need opinions please

[chickenzoo]

i have an older Wynadotte X EE roo named Barron who free ranges. i few months ago i noticed a hole just under his inner thigh, I cleaned it up, put on sav and away he went. Well the other day I picked him up and felt a very large scab. i removed it and had a better look. He has no real outer skin covering his whole breast from under his thigh up a few inches and a few inches wide, about what a breast fa lay looks like in the store, in size. I cleaned it out and cut off skin that had bonded to itself and healed into a tube like thing stretched from one side to the other. It was covered in new feathers and was preventing healing. My question is, it looks like the skin has bonded to the outer layer of the voided area, leaving no skin to pull across and stitch, can he heal this way? I know birds with head wounds do, but this is good sized. He seems fine otherwise, eats fine, drinks fine... his regular self. I cleaned it well and sprayed it down with iodine. i didn't want to stress him out any further after cutting off the tissue. Will try to get pics. I was planning on putting furazone cream on it like i did others. I gave him some liquid baytril for any infection and he is caged in the garage. I didn't know if I needed to have a vet cut the tissue and make a flap or just be best to let him heal on his own...

 

[TheRanch]

Jeez, that almost sounds like a recluse got him. And we have plenty of those here. Have you seen any around your place? I wonder if anyone knows how they affect chickens - if it's like humans.

If that was it - I hope Barron got to eat him!! Karma

 

[Tangerine farmer]

I'd be a bit careful with the iodine.. it is caustic to flesh. It will slow healing and burn. In horses (sorry, I'm not a chicken guru) the hole will fill in over time. I'd keep it clean with water instead of strong meds.

Everyone around this web site seems to like an antibacterial ointment also. If it's water soluble you can clean it off when it gets dirty and apply new with ease. Keep the outer skin soft so it will grow with scar tissue. Vitamin E? though it's going to gather dirt like crazy. Is it possible to put on a non stick bandage, then tape it on? The thought of his breast meat exposed to the world is pretty awful! The less messing with it the better.

Nothing much else to offer, sorry.

 

[chickenzoo]

Quote:
That crossed my mine as he likes to sleep in the barn up on a beam. Poor boy,....... but he seems his happy self.

 

[ChIck3n]

If he is acting fine, it should heal. I had a hen get her throat completely ripped open by a racoon a few years back, and she is perfectly happy too this day. He may have a bald patch, but should survive. Just keep it clean and maybe put some neosporin or other disinfectant on it. I know there are disinfectant sprays for horses, so something like that would be easy to apply to a chicken and would be easier on the bird than iodine.