Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[BHep]

ok, i've got a question for you... a bit of a medical situation.

my (favorite) crested cockerel showed up this afternoon with a tear in the skin next to his crop. most of the feathers are gone and you can see part of an air sac and the side of his crop thru the opening... it's not bleeding at all, and he's running around just fine, except for that hole in the skin.

what should i do?

i'm afraid since it's not bleeding, it may not want to heal properly. if i had some ether (aka starting fluid) i'd be tempted to knock him out, cut the skin and stitch the raw edges back together, but barring that, any other suggestions? (something i've done before with pet rabbits and hamsters when they've fought too hard).

i did put him in a cage for the moment, until i decide what to do.

Blue Kote... and isolated for a few days. You will be surprised how well birds can heal.

 

[ki4got]

hm... ok. superglue i can do. didn't even think about that... blue-kote, i'm out of. hm. isolation i can do too.

i'm afraid to clean him with too much water, since there are air sacs near by, i'm afraid to get water (and anything else) into his respiratory tract... think i'll use some betadyne, dry it well then superglue... see how that works.

thanks for the ideas (and shopping list LOL).

 

[Leahs Mom]

K -
Delisha here on the forum had dealt with stuff like that before I think. You might try pm-ing her to see if she has any experience.

 

[ki4got]

well, i used what i have... he's in a cage, in the coop for the night, we'll see what happens tomorrow.

 

[ki4got]

well, think i figured out what happenned... looks like his breast feathers got stepped onby one of the horses, and he pulled so hard the skin tore. there's a pile of feathers in the middle of a hoof print in the hay where she was eating from the truck. (we hadn't unloaded hay yet). so at least i know it wasn't predator related.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Good to know what happened. I have some NuStock in my first aid kit for the chickens and I'd put that on. But if I didn't have that I'd likely just use some kind of healing salve that I did have on hand.

K - is he in a place that you could post a photo for us of how it looks? That way as he heals you can show progress and we can learn!

 

[Bulldogma]

Yes - I've always heard super glue works well on wounds like that, poor guy. Hope he heals up well!

 

[jbarrett]

As most of you guys know I have been in contact with the APA and they have come back to me this time and they are now saying we would have to pick one color to be the basis of the Swedish Flower Hen and I explaind to them that they come in SO many different colors and if they wanted us to pick one color to BE the breed we would no longer continue with this and I said I wish to no longer push this and get them a show breed......BUT I am going to continue to get this breed recognized by the American Livestock Breeds Consevancy! Their goal with the ALBC is to strengthen and make the breed better for generations to come! They love the diversity of colors this breed displays and DO NOT wish to make us change anything about them! I still feel it would be of good practice to cull any and all birds with cross breeding in them and with split wing! This is where the breeding community will need to be set up and sent in....Thanks yall, Justin

 

[Laingcroft]

I think it would be great to come up with a standard for conformation and then let nature paint our chickens in whatever combination it comes up with; perhaps with mottling or some form of white since so many of the SFH have white somewhere no matter the base color.

My gals are pretty consistent in type, but in no way could they be considered 'round' if by round we mean like a Wyandotte. I see more of an egg shaped body when viewed from above (broad breast tapering to a narrower, but not pointed, tail end) When viewed from the side, they have the Mediterranean look though not as light in frame as a Leghorn.

What type to others have? And which do you think are your best birds?

 

[ki4got]

Good to know what happened. I have some NuStock in my first aid kit for the chickens and I'd put that on. But if I didn't have that I'd likely just use some kind of healing salve that I did have on hand.

K - is he in a place that you could post a photo for us of how it looks? That way as he heals you can show progress and we can learn!

no, not right now... i put him back out in the coop, in a cage for the night... tomorrow i'm planning on going to the feed store and getting some blue kote (and more super glue, i used the last of what i had).

i just hope it heals and he's ok... leave it to me to find a favorite.