THE HENS ARE AT IT AGAIN!! (Wounded Hen) -- GRAPHIC PICS!!

[Reinbeau]

Thank you, Ruth, I'll have to get supplies tomorrow and stitch her up. I wonder if the vet will be as generous to me? I'll gladly pay, if it is more comfortable for the hen to use the thinner needle.

 

[chickeepoo]

Chickeepoo is eating and drinking and laid an egg yesterday, so she seems to be doing well; the skin on her back that is featherless due to last week's attack is very stiff from the blu-kote- did I overspray her or something? The new wound is drying up, didn't get to it in time to stitch it up… I think in the future if I have this happen, I'll be prepared with some pre-threaded surgical needles on hand.

Back to the blu-kote, it says on the bottle to "clean and dry affected area. Apply BLU-KOTE with attached applicator morning and night or as required." SO… I was going to give just the would another shot- if it's drying up, should I leave it alone after this and let her heal on her own?

 

[Pullet Pimp]

You may want to consider something other than the Blu-Kote. If you read on the bottle it also says something about not using it on food producing animals. I bought some for my flock and used it once and then was advised by several members here to not use it. After reading up on it a little more I gave it to my neighbor who has horses because I want to be able to eat her eggs. It also says not for use on horses intended for food, but he doesn't plan on eating his

. The company will not give you a straight answer if it is safe for chickens and their eggs because they have not done the testing.

For all wounds now I just use Betadine and neosporin WITHOUT pain killer. They heal very nicely.

I had an EE hen with a hole in her side near her vent about the size of a golf ball from picking that healed up very quickly on its own with just a little neosporin. I didn't have the option to stitch the wound closed because there was no way I could get the sides of the wound to meet. Guess you will have to make the determination to stitch or not, but I am with Ruth, if you can why not do it.

 

[chickeepoo]

I thought if you didn't get to stitch up the wound within 4-5 hours of the injury that it would cause more infection to try to close it after it has begun healing, with dead tissue and such. Chickeepoo's wound has a dry film from the blu-kote, so I assume it isn't letting in any germs. I'll just use neosporin at this point to see if that will help her skin soften up and finish healing- she seems to actually be doing pretty well other than being lonely from being inside away from the other hens.

 

[FarmerDenise]

I recently had a hen with a gash down the back of the neck. Her skin was hanging loose and her neckbones were exposed. She got wounded on a saturday afternoon, after our vet closes. I cleaned her, bandaged her neck as best I could, to get the skin back into it's proper place and gave her some aspirin. I was able to see the vet on monday. She did not stitch her up, because she felt that my chicken was healing well on her own and that stiching her up might allow infection to take hold in a pocket. She gave me antibiotic that I didn't end up using, since there was no infection. I cleaned the wound regularly for a few more days with saline solution and provided extra protein for my hen. She recovered nicely. She only has one small bald spot left at this point, which I am sure will have feathers grow in before too long.

 

[Pullet Pimp]

When I first read this I thought it was a recent injury. Now after going back I see that it happened a couple days ago. If it is healing on its own and doesn't appear to be showing any signs of infection I'd let it be and just make sure it is clean and dry. Again I would not use the Blu-Kote if you plan on eating her eggs and stick with the neosporin and Betadine.

 

[mamarosa]

I am so confused and need help
my chickens are picking at each other, I found 2 of the biggest
buffs picking and eatting fluffy feathers on the rest of the group
I have 25 hens and one roo. It has been a long cold winter in
michigan and have given them every treat, cabbage, broc
heads plenty of food and areas to roam on better days.
There is NO break in their skins yet, no bleeding but about
a quarter to match box areas of de-plucked feathers
betadine, neosporin, blu kote????????? of what???????
they have been laying eggs well, no other distress
have added more protein to their diets
how to stop the picking and who to separate there are more picked on ones than not HELP