Possible stress leading to not laying

[KatefromOz]

Hello!
Last week my husband and i did a little diy bumblefoot removal on 2 of our hens. My RIR had a bigger 'scab' and required a little digging around. We gave her a epsom salt foot bath and made sure everything was sterile, patched her up and off she went. It's been 8 days and during that time she has managed to rip off her bandage all 4 times we've wrapped it. We even used some electrial tape around it to make it stick. No luck. Anyway, she hasn't laid an egg in 8 days (so since the 'surgery'). She has no other symptoms; not limping, she still runs around, gets on her roost of a night and eats and drinks like usual. I am wondering if having her foot wrapped is causing her some stress, which may be why she isn't laying? Has this happened to anyone else? It's currently unwrapped until i get home from work...part of me thinks I should just leave it unwrapped, but obviously I don't want anything nasty getting on her foot. Maybe it's something else completely.
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[azygous]

If the wound is still open and moist, it needs to be soaked and re-dressed at least every other day.

Try elastic vet wrap. You can find it in the feed store where they put the first aid supplies for horses. It comes in many entertaining colors and it sticks to itself if you rub it firmly in place. It's virtually chicken proof.

It comes in four-inch wide rolls, but I cut it into one-inch strips by sixteen-inches. One sixteen-inch strip will thoroughly bandage a chicken foot.

 

[aart]

Most likely stress from the 'surgery' rather than the bandage, tho that could be contributing...not to mention her system is trying to fight the infection that causes the 'bumblefoot'.

 

[KatefromOz]

Thanks for your responses. We have continued to keep her foot bandaged but it's looking like the 'scab' is back. Not sure that that's a good sign. She still hasn't laid, but now appears to be going through some sort of molt...maybe a stress induced molt too. Is there anything I can do to help her feel better?
Ps: it's fall here in Australia so it could just be a seasonal molt. She had a mini molt back in Feb too. I can see new pin feathers coming through so that's good.