New Brahma Group: Blue Partridge x Partridge, Plus Dark

[1muttsfan]

You have to be a little careful about putting ointments down inside of wounds. The body has to evacuate it back out, since it can't be absorbed. This is not the kind of wound I would use silvadene on.

It's not unusual at all to be able to smell a wound. Often when we bandage injuries will leave the bandage on for three or four days before changing it, to minimize disrupting the newly growing granulation tissue, and they get pretty stinky.

While you can use diluted betadine to flush wounds, I think what you're doing already is fine. When you do your bandage changes put a warm Epsom salt compress on there to soak out discharges, improve blood supply, and help her be more comfortable.

 

[speckledhen]

You have to be a little careful about putting ointments down inside of wounds. The body has to evacuate it back out, since it can't be absorbed. This is not the kind of wound I would use silvadene on.

It's not unusual at all to be able to smell a wound. Often when we bandage injuries will leave the bandage on for three or four days before changing it, to minimize disrupting the newly growing granulation tissue, and they get pretty stinky.

While you can use diluted betadine to flush wounds, I think what you're doing already is fine. When you do your bandage changes put a warm Epsom salt compress on there to soak out discharges, improve blood supply, and help her be more comfortable.

Thank you for your guidance. Tom is fighting me on opening up the bandage to check it, thinks it should stay closed, but I disagreed, that I thought we should look. It's been about three days now. Last night with him holding her, I did spray some Vetericyn from the top, no ointment, so it would trickle down into the area, didn't want to risk pulling it apart if it was trying to close. Seems the wound may be beginning to close/re-attach some already. I know that body fluids and the ointment I initially put on it will have a smell, but it does not appear infected to me. It was already dry when I discovered it, did not appear to be infected at the time so thanks for that reassurance. I do have Epsom Salts so I will do that, thank you so much, Mary.
She is pretty feisty and she's huge, plus she acts like it may pain her some, a combination that ends up with her fighting everything I try to do, but we'll make her submit. She's already pecked me twice when I reached into the hospital cage, LOL. She has been moved to the empty 5x8 pen so she can walk around more and won't become stiff from sitting or standing in one spot. Again, thank you for all your support. I've never had an injury exactly like this, though two big blue Orp hens with Suede had side injuries from his ungainliness in mating with his 14 lb self trying to balance. And of course, her age concerns me since we already lost three of his hens at the beginning of this year to, I guess, old age. Tells me she is Grandma Moses as far at this line of Brahmas goes.
If she survives this, I'll have to then decide how to put her back with Bash because of the where the tear was and the way roosters breed their hens, standing right on top of where the wing tore off the bone.

 

[speckledhen]

Here she is wearing one of my stretchy headbands, which is perfect for a big hen like herself. It's not as tight as it was with VetWrap around it, but she seemed to be having issues with it (VetWrap tends to tighten up, I think) so we removed the outer wrap and left on the headband. It goes over the torn wing but under the other one.

 

[1muttsfan]

A non-infected healing wound will have a normal discharge of fluid to moisturize the tissues, and carry healing elements into the wound. After a few days it can get a little funky, but should not smell too bad. While some leave bandages on for longer, 3 days seems to be about right in my opinion, any longer and they really start smelling.

Sounds like it is progressing well. Too bad she is grumpy, but I probably would be too. It's a good sign that she feels good enough to be sassy.

 

[speckledhen]

Mary, this morning, I took off the stretchy headband/bandage. It just would not stay on top of her shoulder and kept slipping under the wing, not what we need at all. It's been a few days now with antibiotics in her water and treatment of the wound. I'll try to get a picture if at all possible, but Tom has to hold her for me to do anything to her. She's not happy to be held at all, was never a cuddly hen like Brandy or even big sweet Bash so it's not easy to get her to hold still for anything.
I got a better look and it's not really re-attaching like I thought at first, but looks just dark and mostly dry. When we removed the bandage, I did spray Vetericyn in there and yesterday she was treated with the warm Epsom Salts. She still may not make it. She pants a lot so maybe there is some pain or at least she is stressed by being separated from her peeps. She is most definitely sassy!
I wonder if she even lives and this heals, it may still stand away from the bone and might be dangerous for Bash to be with her. I've never had to deal with a wound like this in all my almost 19 years of keeping chickens.

 

[1muttsfan]

If she is eating and pooping regularly that would be a good sign.

Areas that are dry and dark may be devitalized tissue (lacking blood flow). The dry tissue will act as a bandage, allowing granulation tissue to form behind it, so spraying and soaking are OK but don't manipulate it or try to pull it off.

While it may not look the same if it heals, it likely will heal so that she can be comfortable. I would guess that maybe being with a rooster, or at least a big one, would no longer be a good idea.

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you again., Mary. You've been such a godsend to me over the last few years and I appreciate every time you take time to guide me through something. And @getaclue , Cheryl, you too. Everyone who has been supportive on my long running threads means a lot to me. Even with almost 2 decades of experience, these birds still manage to do things to surprise me.
I wouldn't dream of pulling anything off of that dark stuff, no way. Though I'm fumbling around here with this unexpected situation, at least I seemed to have done some things right for her, from what you've told me. I think she may be able to go with one of the bantam Cochin males like Mace, and if she can get along with the Barred Rocks he has, maybe she can go in there. Poor Bash, I hate that he's losing another hen. I just don't want the same thing to happen with him that happened to Atlas, that he outlives every hen he has because I have none large enough for the big guy, other than the Marvin Stukel descended old hens plus Jill and her daughter, Maddie. Even Jill is not that big. Maddie is chunkier, I guess it's Hector's influence. Gosh, I miss him after a year without the goober.

 

[1muttsfan]

Such good old friends they are

 

[speckledhen]

Bonnie seems okay, but she isn't eating quite as much, probably because of her isolation from her crew. When the Brahmas were outside today, I put her in the dog cage so she could be surrounded by them, see them and not feel so alone.
We sprayed Vetericyn into the blackened area of the wound, which seems to be healing as well as can be expected. Doesn't smell like or look like it's infected.

 

[getaclue]

It sounds like you're doing your part correctly, now it's up to Bonnie and Father Time to do the rest of the healing.