Sore on butt

[Q9]

One of our RIR chicks has a weird sore on its rear end, and the other three are pecking at it. And of course, the one with the sore is the biggest one who likes to boss the others around. Any idea what the sore is, and what to do about the dumb birds pecking at it?

 

[ivan3]

You don't say how old the `chick' is. However, separate immediately.

Clean the area with betadine and water (1:10 solution) and apply a small amount of plain neosporin to the wound. Keep separated until healed.

 

[purpletree23]

After separating her from the others wash the area with warm water and soap so you can see what it is and report back.

 

[threehorses]

I'd agree with the others. Remove the bird to its own spot. Clean the wound well with warm water, iodine and water if you have it (mixed into a solution the color of weak iced tea). Pat dry - do not rinse off the iodine. Then treat the sore with Neosporin ointment (no pain killers, no cortisone - just good old Neosporin triple antibiotic type ointment).

You will want to keep the bird away from the others for 2 days so that the sore can dry up. Also, if there are flies, pat the treated wound with corn starch or baby powder to keep it from being as tempting to flies. If flies "blow" the wound and maggots hatch, simply clean them off (using honey can smother them off), reclean, redress, repowder.

I would look at her carefully to see if perhaps she's had pasty-vent, droppings clinging around her vent, that might have caused a sore. Or check to see if perhaps she hasn't been on a laying feed and oyster shell if she's of laying age and perhaps prolapsed and returned to normal. If she's of laying age, making sure that she always has laying pellets/crumbles as at least 90% of her diet and having oyster shell available every day will go a long way towards preventing some prolapse related wounds.

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