Hen's comb torn 1/2 off, what to do?

[farmerbeebee]

We have a really feisty, overly aggressive Roo- his fate is yet to be decided. He has been picking on all the hens. However, he really got a hold of one of them yesterday and I found her with her comb 1/2 torn off. I have kept her in quarantine since then. Along with her comb, she has a large wound on the back of her neck. I have been keeping it clean, and putting antibiotic cream on it. She seems to be eating and drinking moderately well. However, her comb really seems to be bothering her. I have read on here about "dubbing" but I don't know if I should leave it alone right now because I am sure it is sore, or if I should go ahead a "dub" it now. Any thoughts? I don't want to put her in more pain than she already is. I have included a picture. Do I dub it all or just the piece that's hanging? Clearly, I have never done this. I don't want to hurt her anymore. Poor little girl! Thanks!

 

[Kelsie2290]

It is hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like her comb is at least half torn off at the base anyhow? I would be inclined to remove either the hanging part, or the whole thing if that is going to be easier on her, flopping around like that it is going to be hard to heal, and it is going to be in her way if it does heal that way. And, wow, are you sure that was the roo? I don't think there would be much question about his fate if he did that.

 

[purpletree23]

Oh my but she looks miserable poor girl. My opinion is different from the last post and it is just an opinion. I would just clean her up dab the wound dry gently and dab on an antiseptic.

Let her rest and take care of the wound as you would one on yourself. Keep dry and clean.

The comb can be taken care of later. I wouldn't dub her unless a vet can do it using an anesthetist and wound glue.

She doesn't need penicillin. Chickens heal very well on their own.

 

[farmerbeebee]

Yes, I'm almost 99% positive it was the Roo, he is in his teenager years, this isn't the first time he has put some damage on one of our hens. Although, it has never ever been this bad. I saw him chasing her (comb intact) and then the next second shes laying on the ground bleeding horribly! My heart hurt! This is the last straw with him, he is terrible!
So, from what you're saying I should probably just cut off the hanging part then? Since the non hanging 1/2 part is on there pretty good. Is this an extremely painful process? I mean, I know it's probably not pleasant for her, but I didn't know if waiting a little bit would be easier on her, or just to bit the bullet and do it now.

 

[farmerbeebee]

Thank you for your opinion. I was wondering about antibiotics. I thought maybe some baby tylenol to possibly ease her pain? I had looked on here that it is safe to give to chickens. You think it will heal fine just hanging there and then later it will have to be cut? We do not have a vet around here that takes care of chickens, so I think I am on my own with this one. And yes, she does look miserable, her eyes were swollen shut yesterday and she was having a hard time breathing, but those two things have resolved themselves by this morning.

 

[farmerbeebee]

Here's another picture from the "hanging" side. The comb is turning a darker color. POOR THING!!

 

[purpletree23]

Giver her time to heal and rest. Make sure she drinks and eats. She will when the last of the shock has left her system. Cutting off that flap would be painful. Let it go. It will probably heal and you can call her floppy comb.

Baby Tylenol is your call. I won't advise on that.

Give her a warm place to rest with some old towels to lay on. Give her treats like cup up grape, cottage cheese, scrambled egg, cut up pasta and plain applesauce mixed in with her pellets. She might also enjoy scratch. Anything to get her appetite going.

Give her body time to heal and you'll be amazed at her recovery........honest. What do you have around the house to clean wounds with?

 

[farmerbeebee]

Last night I used a wash of warm water and hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound. I figured straight hydrogen peroxide would be unbearable. I then put triple antibiotic ointment on the back of her head and ripped comb part. I have been feeding her a gruel of yogurt, applesauce, oats, and ripped spinach. She is eating that really well. I have named her combover right now. I don't know that I have the guts to cut it, but my husband would if that is what needed to be done. I think at this point we will leave it. I just don't know that I could bear her having that amount of pain when she is already in so much pain as it is. Thank you everyone for your advice! I really needed to think this through with some other chicken fanatics.

 

[purpletree23]

I like combover much better! I'm glad she is eating. Make sure you read up on introducing hens back to the flock. I use a piece of old fence to block off a corner so the hens and the reintroduced hen can see each other for a few days and then take away the fence. It might take a few tries before the other hens stop coming after her but eventually it will work. You can also put her in the chicken run or coop in a cage so they can see each other also.

Keep us posted.

 

[sevenpines]

I feel your pain....I just worked on a silkie rooster who ripped his comb about 1/2 off as well. We had a big rain here and I ran out to put them all away....when I came back 2 hours later, he was red all over his white Poofy head, and eyes swollen shut. Another Roo pecked him on his wound right in front of me, but I’m not sure if it was him and only him, or if he was just kicking the other poor Roo when he was “down” and maybe caught it somewhere in the hustle to get them in the pens and under cover.

I did exactly what you did, dabbed it (I used betadine wash diluted about 100 to 1 and soft cotton, covered his eyes with clean cotton and squeezed/drizzled the betadine solution into the wound and around it best I could. I then put vetricyn on/in it, and tried to bandage up the ripped areas with spliced-down vet wrap.. . . which even almost unconscious, he swiped off with one whip of his leg and it was all laying in a bloody heap in the dog crate I have him in IN the HOUSE to prolong the stupid flies that were buzzing around him ...waiting to give him screw worms!

No fun. I too was wondering about aspirin or penicillin. I’m so sorry to hear about your hen, and I thank you for posting all these details. That is how we all learn.

Hope your Girl keeps getting better! and hope “Whitewalker” is as tough as he seems to be in general.

THere’s always something on a farm.... huh? :-(