Hen With Severely Injured Comb, Please Help!

[Blue_Myst]

I just found this out in my coop

What can I do? I'm going to make up a quick saline solution and dab with hydrogen peroxide. I don't have neosporin, but I do have Calendula, and I don't see any 'cane' ingredients in it, so I will use that. It's a mixture of herbs to promote healing, supposed to work well. Better than nothing, I suppose. Am I missing anything? I've never had this happen before, so I doubt that this is a crowding issue; I have more than twice the recommended run space and the right size coop, and they get to free range a lot.

I know it isn't as bad as it looks, but in the second picture you can see a little bit of something pink and muscly sticking through at the base of the comb (connective or fatty tissue of some sort?), and that is what worries me the most.

Thank you so much! I know I sound a little jittery, I just want to do the most I can before an infection can set in.

 

[CHIC]

REMOVE HER IMMEDIATELY! Keep her away from the others until she is completely healed or they might kill her. If there is a speck of blood the others will peck unmercifally. Clean it the best you can and get some neosporin- without the pain relief. I would not suggest hydrogen peroxide because it kills the bad germs as well as the ones that fight infection.

 

[Blue_Myst]

Oh no! I didn't think of that! They were all so calm and no violence whatsoever today that I didn't think there was a problem! I'll try.

Thanks for the tip on the peroxide, I'll just stick with the saline and Calendula. Thank you!

 

[CHIC]

I think it's instictive when there's blood- survival of the fittest. I don't necessarily think they were really being mean. She may have injured it somehow otherwise and the others saw the blood. That being said, is she low in the pecking order?

 

[SunnyDawn]

When they are in the coop you can change out your bulbs for red colored ones. I tried it when my pullet got her comb stuck in the fence and it tore. I kept them separated once I let them outside though. She's fine now but her comb looks a little sad.

 

[Blue_Myst]

She's doing much better today!

I've flushed the base of her comb with saline twice since yesterday. I let all the hens out to free range today, and no one is picking on the injured one so I'm going to leave her with them but under careful survailance. The other hens didn't even bother her after I put some salve on her crown.

Poor thing! I have a feeling it might have something to do with my feeder, since it had blood in it, but I don't see how.

 

[Casey3043]

Glad to hear that she's doing better! Chickens are like horses, who can find a way to hurt themselves no matter what you do. Little boys are the same way---they can get hurt in an empty room, it seems.

Have you checked all your wire and wood for sharp edges or points sticking out that she could have caught it on?