Leg Injury - What should I do next

[ChickenGirl555]

My Buff Orpington hen Brittney has had a plastic leg band on since she was only a couple months old, and now she is 13 months, and while they were few ranging I noticed Brittney was limping. I looked at her legs and realized that half the leg band was completely inside her leg. I immediately pulled out the band and brought her into the house. It was a deep injury, and under the cut there was poop on her leg. I put hydrogen peroxide on the cut and cleaned her leg, and put on some antibiotic ointment. Then I wrapped it with a bandage and put her in the run of my second, vacant coop. She layed down and didn’t move for an hour as her flock mates picked around the run (both coops are in the same big run, but the medical coop Brittney was in had its own small run). I checked on her and gave her the opportunity to walk around, and she limped around and pecked for a few minutes, until my cockerel was about to mate with her. I showed him away and put her back in the run. I think I’ll have her sleep in the separate coop tonight, but is there anything else I should do? Did I do something wrong? I took off the last leg band one of my EEs had, but it wasn’t digging into her leg yet. All leg bands have been removed and I won’t use them again.

If you have any advice on what to do next it would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

The leg bands come in multiple sizes. Please note on the packaging the small ones say that they are not adequate for growing birds. You can still use them but you will need a larger size. As they get older you will need to monitor to make sure they arent too tight. As for your bird i would keep her seperated. Can you post pictures of the wound? Might be able to give a better interpretation on care with a photo

 

[ChickNanny13]

I use the small colored zip ties when I have birds of the same color, for record keeping. I check the ties every month, changing as they grow. You can use leg bands, need to check periodically.

Keep her separated for the time being if possible within the sight of the flock so you won't have to integrate her back later. Initial cleaning with peroxidewhich is good but if you need to clean it out again use Vetericyn, peroxide will disturb any new tissue growing. Main thing now is keep it clean & check for infection. You've done good ... Keep us posted.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would keep plain neosporin or betadine on the wound. Hopefully, it will heal, and she will get full use of it back in a few days. Can you place her in a dog crate with food and water inside with the other chickens? It is good that you caught this in time. Leg bands are something I used to use, but after so many threads about this same thing, I would not use them. Let us know how she gets along.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Here are pictures of the coop she is in, separated from the flock, and the wound.
The coop pictures are from before she was injured, but she is in it now with food and water and is visible to her flock members. My cockerel is the biggest problem. He’s not fully welcomed into the flock, only newly integrated with his brother and sister, so he’s taking every chance he can get to mate with the girls.

The wound picture was taken before we cleaned and and wrapped it.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Not sure if this picture was on the last post...my BYC is being glitchy.

 

[Eggcessive]

You might want to separate your cockerel for a bit to give them a break. The young ones under a year old can be quite a handful.

 

[townchicks]

Just clean the wound daily with water ,apply Neosporin and wrap it. It will start to fill in around the edges first. After a few days, if it's healing and not looking infected, take the wrap off at night so it can get air, when nobody will be picking at it and it will stay clean. When it scabs over, IF she's not picking at it, leave the wrap off and leave it alone, but keep checking for heat or swelling.

 

[Shadrach]

All the chickens here had leg bands when I got here (almost eight years ago).
They are such a stupid idea. One rooster got his caught in a piece of broken wire fencing,
another got SLM and the band pushed the scales upwards.
I cut them all off over time.
I like yourself found one hen where the band had got stuck low on the ankle and the ankle had grown around the band. It was quite difficult to get off without cutting into her leg.
I treated her ankle with an anti septic spray and then covered the groove in her ankle with a product called Stockholm Hoof Tar. She limped for a few days but recovered well and after a couple of months the groove filled in.
For some injuries I can't recommend Stockholm Hoof Tar highly enough.
https://www.horsehealthusa.com/details/Vanner-&-Prest-Stockholm-Hoof-Tar/90-30200.html

 

[townchicks]

For some injuries I can't recommend Stockholm Hoof Tar highly enough.

I haven't heard of that, I'll have to check that out. Always good to have another weapon in the arsenal.