Help First injured chicken

[crisempe]

hi I have an injured chicken is my first time dealing with this it happened like a week ago. She was limping picked her up and saw she had ripped skin from the sides under wings, don’t know if she was attacked or the rooster did it. I washed the wounds with water. After poured hydrogen peroxide on them, Pat it dry and then put disinfectant spray and bacitracin. I did this for 2 to 3 days and now I’m just putting bacitracin, I don’t know what to do now, I don’t know if you pull the scabs so the healthy skin is exposed or what to do. It looks awful from one side it doesn’t look infected and there is no pus coming out or bad odor. My hen looks healthy she is eating and drinking and laying eggs. It’s been like a week.

 

[azygous]

Good job getting right on the wound treatment. You've probably saved your hen from a serious infection.

Does the rooster have long, curving spurs with sharp points? If so, he's likely the source of her injuries. This is quite common when a rooster's spurs aren't filed back or removed regularly. It's also been known for such a roo to spur himself with his own spurs.

Now, the injuries. I need to understand better the type of lacerations. Were they deep cuts? Or shallow flaying, leaving flaps of skin? Did you carefully clean out every speck of gravel or dirt? Have you noticed any pus in the wounds? Chicken pus looks like lard. It's solid.

From the one photo, it appears that wound could use some debriding to remove pus and any blackened dead skin covering the wound. This is done so bacteria won't hide under the dead tissue and pus. However, if it's a skin flap hanging free of the wound just let it alone. It will dry up and fall off eventually.

If you don't have Vetericyn wound spray, I urge you to get some from the feed store where the animal first aid supplies are. This stuff keeps bacteria under control, but it also promotes rapid new tissue growth.

After the first use of peroxide to clean the wounds, don't use it any further as it will kill delicate new skin cells. Use the Vertericyn and the antibiotic ointment. It appears this is the protocol you've already been following. I'd say you're doing a pretty good job thus far.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

hi I have an injured chicken is my first time dealing with this it happened like a week ago. She was limping picked her up and saw she had ripped skin from the sides under wings, don’t know if she was attacked or the rooster did it. I washed the wounds with water. After poured hydrogen peroxide on them, Pat it dry and then put disinfectant spray and bacitracin. I did this for 2 to 3 days and now I’m just putting bacitracin, I don’t know what to do now, I don’t know if you pull the scabs so the healthy skin is exposed or what to do. It looks awful from one side it doesn’t look infected and there is no pus coming out or bad odor. My hen looks healthy she is eating and drinking and laying eggs. It’s been like a week.

One of my chickens had a similar thing, but not as big. I did what you did cleaned it up and put peroxide on it and every day just sprayed it with that Vetricyn and made sure it wasn’t getting infected. It got a big black scab on it that was sort of lifting off, but I did not pick it up because otherwise it would leave a hole. She’s fine now.

 

[crisempe]

When should I introduce her back to the flock I have her separate right now.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I always keep them together, but just separate them with a piece of chicken wire or hardware cloth.