Hen with a sore

[FKellogg]

I have a hen that a lot of times has a dirty bottom...... it has recently gotten worse so I washed her bottom.......and to my surprise and horror she has a spot below her vent that looks to be a size of a quarter that looks worse than a sore that has maggots coming out of it!! The spot is black!! She is eating and drinking and acting fine..... only thing unusual is her comb is wilted and her feather are dull. I know I have to get all the maggots out but what do I do about the black sore?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sounds like fly strike. I would get some sort of wound dressing like bluekote to spray on it after you get it cleaned up.

 

[April’s Zoo]

Peroxide will kill the maggots, but won’t be popular with the chicken. You can also squeeze a big ol’ blob of neosporin or bacitracin (NO pain relief formula) in the wound which will smother them.... but you still have to pick them out with forceps, or flush them out with a syringe.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a hen that a lot of times has a dirty bottom...... it has recently gotten worse so I washed her bottom.......and to my surprise and horror she has a spot below her vent that looks to be a size of a quarter that looks worse than a sore that has maggots coming out of it!! The spot is black!! She is eating and drinking and acting fine..... only thing unusual is her comb is wilted and her feather are dull. I know I have to get all the maggots out but what do I do about the black sore?

Do you have photos?

Black tissue may be necrotic, a lot depends on the wound and how deep it is. Once you have all the maggots out flush well with soapy water, chlorhexidine, diluted betadine or saline. If the tissue is dead you may need to slowly begin to debride the wound, that is done by scrubbing the scab/wound with a rough wash cloth until it starts to bleed, this would be done over the course of several days to help get to healthy tissue. Pack the wound with triple antibiotic ointment.

If you notice a bad odor from her or if she stops eating/drinking then you the wound has likely become infected and she will need antibiotics.

 

[FKellogg]

So.....do I debride the wound all at one time or over a few days?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What does it look like and how deep is it? Does the wound go into the abdominal cavity?

 

[FKellogg]

Do you have photos?

Black tissue may be necrotic, a lot depends on the wound and how deep it is. Once you have all the maggots out flush well with soapy water, chlorhexidine, diluted betadine or saline. If the tissue is dead you may need to slowly begin to debride the wound, that is done by scrubbing the scab/wound with a rough wash cloth until it starts to bleed, this would be done over the course of several days to help get to healthy tissue. Pack the wound with triple antibiotic ointment.

If you notice a bad odor from her or if she stops eating/drinking then you the wound has likely become infected and she will need antibiotics.

 

[FKellogg]

So....do I debride the wound all at one time or over a period of days

 

[FKellogg]

What does it look like and how deep is it? Does the wound go into the abdominal cavity?

 

[FKellogg]

It doesn’t look too deep...but the area is black and looks to be surface