Really bad gash on hens back- how do I treat her?

[johndeerematt]

My hen has a terrible cut on her back. Her side is covered with blood, and when I looked at the cut, it is clean through the skin. She has been very smart and was up on the roost all day to avoid pecking(smart lady!) what do I need to do for her?

 

[Michael Apple]

My hen has a terrible cut on her back. Her side is covered with blood, and when I looked at the cut, it is clean through the skin. She has been very smart and was up on the roost all day to avoid pecking(smart lady!) what do I need to do for her?

Separate the injured bird from the others to avoid further injury from pecking. Put in a comfortable, secure shelter with feed and poultry vitamins in the water. So long as the laceration isn't infected, gently cleaning the wound with some Betadine and then a thin coat of triple antibiotic that contains no anesthetic. Keep the bird separate from the rest until the wound heals.

If you know how this happened, take the necessary steps for preventing it from happening again in the future. Keeping a rooster's spurs short and blunt can help avoid these types of problems. Birds that aren't active, scratching foragers may need nails clipped and filed from time to time. A good pair of dog nail clippers and a steel file used by dog groomers works well for that. Some people use a Dremel for rounding off tips. Just make sure the bird is secure to prevent injury. Have an assistant help if needed.

 

[BantamLover21]

I would clean the wound with some warm, soapy water and pat dry with a towel. Then, apply some antibiotic ointment that contains no "caine/cain" ingredients, since those are harmful to birds. If you have some, you could also spray the wound with an colored wound spray, like Bluekote, to prevent pecking and add more anti-bacterial protection.

Until the wound is healed (or at least firmly scabbed over), it would be best if you kept your hen isolated from other birds. Chickens enjoy pecking at red, strange-colored wounds and other areas, and can mutilate or even kill injured flockmates.

Don't worry too much about her injury. Just keep the wound clean, watch for signs of infection (swelling, pus, etc.), and treat with antibiotics if necessary, and your hen should be fine. Chickens have a remarkable healing ability.

 

[Wyandottes7]

I would clean the wound with some warm, soapy water and pat dry with a towel. Then, apply some antibiotic ointment that contains no "caine/cain" ingredients, since those are harmful to birds. If you have some, you could also spray the wound with an colored wound spray, like Bluekote, to prevent pecking and add more anti-bacterial protection.

Until the wound is healed (or at least firmly scabbed over), it would be best if you kept your hen isolated from other birds. Chickens enjoy pecking at red, strange-colored wounds and other areas, and can mutilate or even kill injured flockmates.

Don't worry too much about her injury. Just keep the wound clean, watch for signs of infection (swelling, pus, etc.), and treat with antibiotics if necessary, and your hen should be fine. Chickens have a remarkable healing ability.

X2 on this advice.

Good luck with her!

 

[johndeerematt]

Thanks everybody. Luckily I have an enclosure set up and I have her in it with feed and water. I washed the wound itself, but I will have to clean the rest of her later. There was a lot of dried blood on her. Would've done it right away but she was freaking out so bad I thought id let her simmer down a while first.

 

[Michael Apple]

Don't use Blu-Kote on an open laceration. It dehydrates the area and prolongs healing time.

 

[sbhkma]

X2
Either triple antibiotic ointment or vetericyn hydrogel are better choices.