Hen with Back Wound

[lmadeline146]

The temps here during the past week have been less than 15 degrees so every day my flock has been on the roosts for long periods of time. I noticed one of my pullets with a back wound that wasn’t there prior to the last few days. I think its most likely due to her late molt and the other hens picking on her. What should I do to prevent frostbite or any other conditions during the cold weather? I havent dealt with things like this before.
This is the best picture I got today

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

That looks like a rooster wound. I would clean it, put some neosporin on it, and put a saddle (hen apron) on her to protect her back from further injuries. If you have any other hens with bare or balding backs, I would put saddles on them too. You might want to trim the rooster's nails and spurs while you're at it.

 

[BobStuart]

Keep her warm and cozy maybe give her a jacket to keep her warm. I’m not worried about the wound maybe a tiny bit of hydrogen peroxide on it and good to go.

 

[BobStuart]

That looks like a rooster wound. I would clean it, put some neosporin on it, and put a saddle (hen apron) on her to protect her back from further injuries. If you have any other hens with bare or balding backs, I would put saddles on them too. You might want to trim the rooster's nails and spurs while you're at it.

What eggzactly is neosporin?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Keep her warm and cozy maybe give her a jacket to keep her warm. I’m not worried about the wound maybe a bit of hydrogen peroxide on it and good to go.

No, don't put a jacket on your chicken! It hurts their feathers and gives warmth to parasites to move in. If you bring her somewhere warm, she'll freeze if she goes back when she's better. I don't recommend heat sources in the coop either as it's a fire hazard, and should you accidentally lose power, it'll be fatal for your bird. I've had hens like this through winters that never saw abouve the single digits (Fahrenheit) and they did fine.

 

[lmadeline146]

That looks like a rooster wound. I would clean it, put some neosporin on it, and put a saddle (hen apron) on her to protect her back from further injuries. If you have any other hens with bare or balding backs, I would put saddles on them too. You might want to trim the rooster's nails and spurs while you're at it.

Thank you, we had rooster damage on lots of hens last year but since then we’ve gotten rid of the problematic rooster and our current one has been fine until now.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Thank you, we had rooster damage on lots of hens last year but since then we’ve gotten rid of the problematic rooster and our current one has been fine until now.

It's probably not the rooster's fault but is only an accident from mounting your girl. Keep a saddle on her until her feathers grow back, and she will be fine.

 

[The Brick Coop]

Or it could be from other females pecking. Neosporin is just one brand of topical antibiotic ointment. You can use any topical antibiotic that you use on yourself on this chicken's injury. There is also a Pick-no-More (by Rooster Booster, on Amazon) or similar thick syrupy product that tastes horrible but is for wounds like this. It is red and so looks to other birds like they should peck it but it teaches them a lesson with the bad taste. Just keep an eye on this because the other birds may make it worse if you do nothing. Agree, do not add something that will warm the bird too much or cover too much feathers. What I do for this type injury that works well: generous antibiotic on Only the skin, then cover with fluffed cotton ball (never gauze), then masking tape onto the dry feathers around the area, pressing to the feathers well. This bandage will eventually fall off or the bird will pull it off, about the time the wound is healed.