MacFri2021
Hatching
- Nov 3, 2022
- 2
- 1
- 4
Hi yall... I finally joined to post a question after 2 years of coming here for reliable info as we have been navigating and frequently failing at farm life.
We have been insanely busy with moving a farm to a new property, business taking off, new baby on the way, and things getting missed that shouldnt have.
The other day, I found one of my hens hiding under the elevated water tank to stay out of the cold and wind. With her backend sticking out and her wings slightly parted, I stooped down to check her out and realized she has horrific... and I mean absolutely horrific.... flesh wounds under her wings and down her sides.
Skin is flayed off. Pretty sure its down to her muscle. Its obviously rooster caused...
They're old. I don't know how old.
The wounds are dark now and obviously dry.
I took her, wrapped her in a soft towel, put her in a medium dog crate filled with hay in our covered patio and covered it with thick blankets...
I immediately went to separate the cocks from the hens (right now the ratio is 3 mature roosters, 3 cockerels, 13 pullets and 3 mature hens..........)
When I caught and held one of my older Australorp hens, I noticed she had fresh, bleeding wounds the same as the other hen, just not nearly as bad. I only noticed because there was blood coming through her feathers onto my hands.... so, she went in with the other hen, out of the cold, separated, and now with a recovery buddy...
I know. I know. I feel like a POS. I should have noticed right away... life just got crazy faster than I could keep up with and I'm picking up the pieces now... we are dealing with the roosters, kicking them out to the main property to serve as pest control and building a "hen house" that is a fully enclosed coop and run, and will be surrounded by a fenced yard that only the hens will be able to graze.
For the injured hens: I ran out and got what supplies were available...
Iodine
Veterycin hydrogel spray
Petroleum jelly
Neoseporin ointment
Hydrogen peroxide
I figured the best mode of action would be to allow the older wounded hen to soak in a warm bath with a gentle castile soap solution, dab at the wounds with gauze, veterycin spray, then the petroleum jelly once this is dry? I'm afraid this wound is so bad and so far gone that the biggest kindness might be to dispatch instead of put her through me trying to heal these wounds...
I can provide pics if needed..
We have been insanely busy with moving a farm to a new property, business taking off, new baby on the way, and things getting missed that shouldnt have.
The other day, I found one of my hens hiding under the elevated water tank to stay out of the cold and wind. With her backend sticking out and her wings slightly parted, I stooped down to check her out and realized she has horrific... and I mean absolutely horrific.... flesh wounds under her wings and down her sides.
Skin is flayed off. Pretty sure its down to her muscle. Its obviously rooster caused...
They're old. I don't know how old.
The wounds are dark now and obviously dry.
I took her, wrapped her in a soft towel, put her in a medium dog crate filled with hay in our covered patio and covered it with thick blankets...
I immediately went to separate the cocks from the hens (right now the ratio is 3 mature roosters, 3 cockerels, 13 pullets and 3 mature hens..........)
When I caught and held one of my older Australorp hens, I noticed she had fresh, bleeding wounds the same as the other hen, just not nearly as bad. I only noticed because there was blood coming through her feathers onto my hands.... so, she went in with the other hen, out of the cold, separated, and now with a recovery buddy...
I know. I know. I feel like a POS. I should have noticed right away... life just got crazy faster than I could keep up with and I'm picking up the pieces now... we are dealing with the roosters, kicking them out to the main property to serve as pest control and building a "hen house" that is a fully enclosed coop and run, and will be surrounded by a fenced yard that only the hens will be able to graze.
For the injured hens: I ran out and got what supplies were available...
Iodine
Veterycin hydrogel spray
Petroleum jelly
Neoseporin ointment
Hydrogen peroxide
I figured the best mode of action would be to allow the older wounded hen to soak in a warm bath with a gentle castile soap solution, dab at the wounds with gauze, veterycin spray, then the petroleum jelly once this is dry? I'm afraid this wound is so bad and so far gone that the biggest kindness might be to dispatch instead of put her through me trying to heal these wounds...
I can provide pics if needed..
Don't beat yourself up - it has happened to many of us. Too many roosters/cockerels is a real problem. Also some roosters are just clumsy and too big to mate 'gracefully'.
