Ok, I posted the other day about finding one of my BO hens with a bare spot on her back. The skin just looked scraped almost raw, but didn't see any skin tears or rips. I put some vaseline on the raw looking skin and kept her in the dog crate that night. DH let her out yesterday, then put her back in last night. So I check her this morning and did find a couple of tears in the skin. I washed off the vaseline and sprayed the area with Vetericyn, a spray on antibacterial/antifungal that I use on my dog and horses. I checked the label and it said nothing about using it on poultry, but it also didn't say NOT to, so I used it. Then I put a big gauze pad over the raw/bare spot and used that stretchy vet wrap tape to secure it. I wrapped it under her wings, around her body in front of her legs, making sure it wasn't tight-just tight enough to hold the gauze in place. Then I used paper tape on top of the vet wrap tape, to secure it better. She sat through all this mostly very quiet and tolerated it very well. Now, my question is...should I isolate her or the freaking obsessed roo? None of my other hens are looking so pitiful. This morning when I let them out (her too) he made a bee line for her! She ran to me screaming! So I know it must hurt like heck when he mounts her. I am soooo mad at him! He has 10 other hens! I ran him off and she went into the run and settled down at the back of it in a spot they like to dust bathe. She is actively avoiding him! I have a huge dog crate I can use to isolate him or her. If I isolate him would that possibly break the fixation he has for her? I am leaving town this Friday and the chickens will all be together in the coop/run for 3 days. I had planned on putting her back in with the rest of the chickens for those 3 days, but now I am afraid to do that! A friend of my boys is going to check on them, but I don't really trust him to feed/water an isolated chicken. If I fill both my waterers and feeder, they have enough to get by for 3 days. Any suggestions....?
