Horrible infection

[beetandsteet]

Hi all. I have an emergency here. Yesterday, I noticed some swelling on the earlobe of my production red hen. I observed closer and it was a pus-filled abcess the size of a grape, with a large scab on it. I assume she scratched her earlobe (the gnats are so bad around here), opened the skin, and it got infected. It was full of cheesy material and blood clots. I cut the scab off and drained the abcess. I put veterycin on the wound and bandaged it. Today when I opened the bandage to change it, the abcess had filled again and was nearly the size of a golf ball--the nastiest thing I've ever seen. It stunk too. I opened it again, pulled huge quantities of nasty material out, and packed it full of antibiotic ointment. I bandaged it again. I crushed half a 500 mg tablet of penicillin and gave it to her in food. She is separated from the flock. Any further advice for me? Please help! Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

Keep her inside away from flies which can cause fly strike by laying maggot larvae in the wound.

 

[beetandsteet]

Keep her inside away from flies which can cause fly strike by laying maggot larvae in the wound.

She is inside a box in the house. Is there anything else I should give her? She is pretty alert considering all she has been through.
You're an "eggspert" --did I do the right thing for her? I read online 250 mg penicillin for 5 days. Is that correct? How often should I change the bandage? Sorry for all the questions.