fuzzi's Chicken Journal

[lightm]

I'm really sorry about Tamars wing. So she had an injury that is in the healing process on its own?

I feel bad for no chicks either. You don't think letting it be underneath Naomi's belly for a couple days longer is a good idea?

 

[fuzzi]

I'm really sorry about Tamars wing. So she had an injury that is in the healing process on its own?

I feel bad for no chicks either. You don't think letting it be underneath Naomi's belly for a couple days longer is a good idea?

When I first noticed it drooping I looked underneath Tamar's wing, didn't see any injury.

I brought in the incubator from the shed. It has a really good candling light. I am thinking I might bring a couple eggs inside and candle them. I certainly could give them another day. I just don't want them to explode under her.

Here are two eggs that are from June 12th. They look fertile to me. The bottom yolk has a light outer ring.

 

[NanaK]

No chicks. This afternoon I pulled all six eggs out from underneath Naomi. No pips, nothing. I won't tell my sitter that it's his fault if they don't hatch...I don't know that it is, and I wouldn't even if it was clearly due to his actions. Stuff happens (or not).

Maybe Zack's not getting the job done.

Are you sure the sitter put the correct eggs back under her?

 

[fuzzi]

Are you sure the sitter put the correct eggs back under her?

Yes, they're dated.

I wonder if they were damaged by movement, he carries eggs in his pockets. I do too, sometimes, but not if I am planning to hatch them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

@Wyorp Rock may say different so wait for her reply but this is my understanding.

I think upside down refers to holding a chicken by it's feet with the head straight down toward the ground. This makes it harder for them to breath.

I have put chickens on my lap and rolled them to their back or side to look under their wings. My chickens roll to their backs dust bathing all the time.

Good luck with the hatch and Tamar's wing.

Yes, very good idea, to hold on the lap and examine if possible. I stand mine on a table to save my back, if necessary, swaddle in a cloth or towel so the wings are captured, then lay them on their side, then open the towel to see what needs to be done.

Ya'll are right, hanging them upside down if there is a crop issue or if they have a really full crop can cause issues. I prefer not to do that.

It does look like the injury is healing, she may have cut it on something, a toenail from the rooster cut it or ???
I had a hen with injury under the wing from a rooster's nail cutting her. I didn't catch it for days and it was oozy. Once it started healing, it looked similar.

I can tell you what I'd do if she were mine, others here may have better suggestions than I do.


Under a wing is warm and damp, so that's an area that I do not typically apply any type of ointment, because I want the wound to "dry" and heal. I would use Chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) or Povidone Iodine. Start with swabbing the wound once daily, allowing the antiseptic to dry on the wound for a few minutes before letting her go. Nothing else. Check the wound twice a day, if possible.
If you think it needs swabbing twice a day when you check, then do that. With my hen, I'd swab only once daily and hers started out stinky, after the second day of just swabbing, it was not inflamed nor stinky and began to dry out.

As it heals the crusties will begin to loosen and slough off, take note if anything looks like embedded feathers or if the new feathers emerging look to have pus around them. If they do, then pluck them. Swab anything questionable with your antiseptic.

If there's changes to the wound - a lot of pus, oozing, bad smell, hot angry tissue or she starts to act off (lethargic/droopy/off food), then that's a major concern and everything needs to be reevaluated.

She's drinking and eating o.k.?

Eggs look fertile to me!

I hope you are able to candle the eggs and see what's going on.

@Wyorp Rock

I caught Tamar despite her objections and Silas' indignation. A couple of her feathers came off in my hand as I held her wing.
View attachment 4157799
Her "armpit" area is still dry, no smell, so maybe this is old drainage? It looks swollen, but not soft/hot swollen, just firm swollen.

It doesn't look good, does it?


Under her other wing it looks normal.

 

[fuzzi]

@Wyorp Rock, thank you.

That was extremely helpful.

I'm going to do the sniff test when I get home tonight, if the eggs haven't hatched, and candle any that pass. I didn't set up the incubator yet, but it's in the house and just needs to be plugged in to check the eggs. It has a built-in candler on the top.

Tamar is the lowest in the flock, and yet brooded two eggs successfully last year. Her "daughter" is the loquacious Joanna. I've not seen Tamar drink, but have made sure that food is tossed her way while the others are eating, and have seen her consume it. Her face and comb color is good, and she moves around well. Since she has always been skittish I will go out to the coop after dark and "swab" as per your suggestion. How much, just a light sheen, coating? What do you use to apply it? I have some of the small gauze pads on hand.

 

[fuzzi]

P.S. If the eggs aren't viable I might just put more in the incubator. I'm trying to add a couple pullets each year.