Need advice!! Very deep wound on side of face...dont know what to do?

[AlicesSilkies]

byc guys!

My gold-laced polish had a deep wound on the side of face, it must be a peck wound because she is at the bottom of the pecking order.

It had a yellow pus coming out and i panicked, luckily my dad is a vet but has never treated a chicken.

We cleaned the wound, put antibiotic powder in and gave her soluble antibiotics, after we had done that she kept scratching, so we fashioned a buster collar and put it around to stop her scratching.

I wanted to take her in the house so i could look after her and help her recover, but then i didnt want for when i put her back to get picked upon more...so i left her in the nesting box sleeping with the others.

Do you think i have done the right thing, or do you have any advice.

Thankyou!

 

[stonykill]

sounds like you did good. Get some Nustock and apply it to the wound. It will heal faster and stop the itching.

 

[AlicesSilkies]

The wound looks alot better today but the other girls are pecking really hard at her face, i am seriously thinking about splitting my injured chicken off from the others and letting her have a house on her own.

She is eating and pooping normally but is not scratching or doing other typical behaviour's she is just sitting there on her own.

What would everyone else do, because i am so torn on one hand i want her to be with the others, but i am afraid that she is going to end up dead if i leave her in there..

Any advice would be great .

Thanks

 

[Judy]

Many people separate an injured chicken until it is healed, to prevent attacks like this. It's natural for others to peck a wound. They normally return at the bottom of the pecking order.

Another thing you could try is disguising the wound with gentian violet, widely sold as BluKote or a generic substitute at feed stores. Often the chickens leave a wound alone with this applied, and it is also an antiseptic. You could even try a little blue food coloring. Possible a brief separation, maybe a day, with the coloring will let er be with her flock mates. Of course, flocks are different; so you just have to see what works.

Good luck!