Open wound on one and a half year old black australorp

[Matt_onthemt]

Hello, friends!!

Is there anything more we should do considering the photos included? No idea what got her. She is in chicken timeout

 

[ChickNanny13]

Clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide (initial cleaning only) or saline solution, trim away feathers & apply Vetericyn and/or Neosporin without the pain relief, keep it covered. But I'm inexperienced with wounds so will tag the more experienced, hopefully someones online at this time ...

@aart @azygous @casportpony @dawg53 @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @WVduckchick

Thank you for your help in advance

 

[Hughes Wildlife Farm]

My roo ripped the entire side off my hen.. I'm talking it was 3 inches x 3 inches of pure openness with a flap of flesh hanging off.. I put this on the open exposed fatty tissue and muscals n flesh.. It's gooy and sticky paste, I did it twice a day.. All her wound cleared up and new skin grew back closing the whole wound.. A year later, she is just getting new feathers there

 

[Hughes Wildlife Farm]

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your hen and her large neck wound. That is pretty deep, so hopefully, you are not hearing any air whooshing from it. Also it is near the esophagus and crop, so it would be important to check if any liquids or foods are coming out of the wound. The best and most inexpensive wound care is a small bottle of Hibiclens (chlorhexidene) at Wlamart in the bandaid aisle used with water to clean the wound twice a day. Then use generic plain neosporin or polysorin ointment to keep it from drying out, and to heal from the inside out. I would leave it open to air, but keep her on a clean towel and separated in a wire dog crate.

 

[Matt_onthemt]

sorry I couldn’t get a better pic but here she is now..is she ready to rejoin the flock? She’s laid two eggs in the last five days. Have taken her outside and she will look through leaves for noms. Just worried the other girls will find any scabbing

 

[Eggcessive]

I would get some BluKote at your local feed store, and spray it on the bare patch every other day to disguise it so that it does not get pecked. You may be better off gradually reintroducing her in a wire dog crate with food and water placed with the other chickens. But if you have some supervised visits with her and the flock, you will be able to see if they are going to attack her or not.

Glad that she has healed. You gave so little information about the wound, that I don’t know if it was inflicted by a predator, or by her own flock. If her flock mates did that, be very slow and careful to introduce her after days of them being able to see her without touching her.

 

[Matt_onthemt]

Thanks! We’ll err on the side of caution. BluKote and slow reintroduction

 

[Matt_onthemt]

I had her out with them the other day. No barriers or cages. The others showed no aggression but I also didn’t leave them in that situation for long.
Anyone have any input on how long these reintroductory play dates should be?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would let her be with them supervised every day, until you feel comfortable leaving her. She may have injured herself on sharp fencing, a predator, and not by the chickens. Keeping her in a crate at night near the others and letting her be with them as much as possible is the way most would handle it. If no aggression, then she should be okay.