ripped comb

[sberry]

I've been through the forums and I know this has been dealt with, but I'm having some issues with the standard "cures" and was hoping for some guidance.

One of my 7 month old RIR hens got into a scuffle and has had about 0.5cm of her comb ripped from the back. She's a bit of a bloody mess to be honest.

I've washed her head as best as I can using cold water and hydrogen peroxide; that was the easy part. However, when I tried to apply any ointment (petroleum jelly, petro carbo gel, polysporin (same as neosporin) it won't stay put. To complicate matters, she just shakes her head, and whatever small amount I managed to get over the wound is splashed all over the "quarantine coop". She's separated from the 8 others in her flock.

I'm not really sure what to do. Or maybe I've done enough and I need to just let her be? She's pretty stressed out right now after my poor first aid attempts.

I don't really want to take her to the vet as she's a dual purpose hen (for a few bucks, I could just have her for dinner, but I'd rather her lay for a bit longer).

Any advice?

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

What you've done sounds right- separate her, clean the wound, and apply ointment as best you can. Chickens aren't always the best patients. Leave her be and once a scab forms on her comb, you probably won't have to worry yourself with any kind of treatment. They don't have much for brains, but they do heal fast so don't feel down that your attempts to patch her up aren't fully appreciated.

 

[sberry]

My hen seems to be doing better today, but she's still quite a mess. I was wondering if I need to worry about getting more of the dried blood off of her head or if I should just leave it. If I do need to get the blood off, what's the best procedure. Her comb is definitely "dangly" and I'll watch for tissue death in it. Really hoping I don't have to clip it as I do NOT have the stomach for veterinary work!

Any advice on the dried blood around her noggin and beak would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cnterfld21]

I had the same issue about a month ago. My rooster was roughing up my barred rock and ripped her comb in 2 places. I simply cleaned the blood off good and that afternoon scabs had started to form. I kept checking it daily and they have healed up nicely. What you've done seems sufficent but I would still keep an eye on it to help prevent infection.