Injured Cornish X

[jmhobbs]

I've got a cornish cross with a tear on her behind. She was never well feathered, I think she got picked on a lot. A few days ago the skin split and she got pecked and it made a real mess of her.

I isolated her and I've been washing it daily. It doesn't actively bleed, but it's a big tear and it's not getting any better. It usually has a black crust on it in the morning, so I assume it's weeping blood from somewhere.

She is still active, eating and drinking, and doesn't seem to be in any pain, doesn't complain when I wash it out and rub it clean with a cloth.

Normally I would just put her down, but I'm less than a week from our slaughter day, and I don't want to waste the meat.

Any suggestions? Should I go ahead and butcher her now, or try some prophylactic measures to keep her healthy until the weekend? Have any of you dealt with large injuries before? Should I be flushing the wound more often?

This is our first round of broilers and the first really injured chicken I've ever dealt with.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Coralietg]

Being a week from slaughter day, I would just process her early. We had a 3 week old Cornish that was pecked at, took a nickel sized piece of skin out. She healed in a week or so, but we weren't close to butcher day and I did isolate her with some smaller chicks.

 

[JJSS89]

If she is in pain or it's getting worse -- process. It will make a good Cornish Game Hen.

I've processed chicks that were 3 weeks old and they make a good appetizer. It's better than throwing them in a hole or the garbage. Anything that has a dislocation (rare) or is otherwise injured beyond healing, I process them.

Like I said, if it's hurting bad -- kill it

If you kill it -- eat it

It might surprise you how utterly delicious they are when they're small.

 

[jmhobbs]

Thanks for the help, we are going to process her tonight.

 

[JJSS89]

Thanks for the help, we are going to process her tonight.

Good call, she'll bless your dinner table.