Pullet lost a toenail - How long should I keep her bandaged and isolated? (CW: Blood)

[TinyCluckingKnight]

My little 12 week old Orpington Coco ripped off her toenail yesterday.

I noticed some blood on the floor of the coop and found Coco with a very bloody foot. After cleaning the foot I noticed the whole nail was ripped off her middle toe. The bleeding wouldn't stop and a little blood would squirt out with each step. I have no idea how long she was bleeding for, but she seemed a little weaker than normal.

I brought her inside and used bleed stop but couldn't stem the bleeding until I wrapped it with cotton and vet wrap. She stayed inside last night in a crate and now today is looking much better, but I am worried about letting her out with the bandage still on.

Should I keep her in for a couple of days to let the wound fully clot and hopefully start regrowing before letting her back out with her flock? Would she be OK if I put her out today with no bandage?

 

[Debbie292d]

This must've been a fresh "accident" she had. For safety sake, I would keep her in. Once you're sure it's stopped, I'd put some triple antibiotic ointment on it, bandage it again, and keep her in overnight. Tomorrow, see how it is, and if you can just keep the bandage off. Trying to keep a bandage on a chicken going back out to the coop is sometimes counterproductive, as it can harbor bacteria too.

I'd give her some scrambled eggs and vitamin water to replace what she lost.

 

[TinyCluckingKnight]

Yeah I kept her in over night last night. I changed her bandage this morning and it was still bleeding a little bit (I think I must have dislodged the scab). I wrapped her up in clean bandages and got some wound spray from the store. She got lots of love and treats (eggs, peas, corn) during the day. I checked her toe again tonight and it had stopped bleeding. Hit it with the wound spray and put her back out with the girls as they went to bed.

She was really happy to be with her sisters again, but I know she loved the cuddles and pets she got while on sick leave. Hadn't had a chicken purr on me quite like this one before.