Injured comb

[SheriLee]

Yesterday I noticed one of my hens had a piece of her comb missing! There was dark, dried blood all over the rest of her comb. I tried to clean it off, but she would not let me touch it. This afternoon, I tried cleaning again but it was pretty caked on. I did manage to put some antibiotic ointment on the wound. NO CLUE how this happened. Any tips on how I can keep it clean so that it doesn't get infected? Anyone else have this happen? Thanks.

 

[Wyandottes7]

I think that she will be fine even if you can only give her minimal care. Continue putting the antibiotic ointment on, and watch to make sure that other birds don't pick at the injured area. Comb injuries usually heal quite quickly (within a week), and I wouldn't worry too much about infection. My chickens have gotten comb injuries before, and they've all been fine; in fact, you wouldn't know now that they had ever been injured. Chickens have a remarkable ability to heal themselves.

 

[SheriLee]

Good to know, thank you for the advice! This is my first flock and my first "injury". She also happens to be my favorite girl so I keep a close eye on her. I did worry about the others pecking at her, but they don't seem to notice. Thanks again!