Thy won’t stop pecking her feet.

[Missy020219]

I have a hen that gets picked on. The other chickens peck her feet and they bleed and bleed. So a few days ago I put her into a separate cage, that’s in the coop. Her wounds looked all closed up so I let her out with the other chickens for a bit. About 3 hours later I went back and her feet had been picked again, but this time worse. I can now see a bone and I don’t have anything to wrap a round her feet to keep it clean. What should I do?

 

[coach723]

Can you post some pictures? Does she have feathered feet/legs? There has to be a reason they are targeting her feet. If she was away from the flock for more than a day or two, then reintegrating slowly usually has to be done, she's considered by them to be a new stranger. Once blood is drawn they will be attracted to the blood. I would separate her again. Clean the feet up with diluted chlorhexidine (hibiclens) or veterycin wound spray, apply plain neosporin or plain triple antibiotic ointment. If there are deep wounds you may need to put a bit of telfa pad (non-stick) over those areas, then wrap with vet wrap, or co wrap (tractor supply carries large rolls of co wrap for horses-you can cut to size you need). Until you can do that, while separated you can keep her on puppy pads or clean bath towels, changed out as needed, to help keep things clean. I wouldn't use any kind of loose bedding.

 

[Missy020219]

I feel very bad for her. I literally don’t have anything to put on her wound. I made some homemade chlorhexadine and squirted some onto her feet after I soaked them in some salt water. But that’s about it.

 

[MamaBelle5]

I feel very bad for her. I literally don’t have anything to put on her wound. I made some homemade chlorhexadine and squirted some onto her feet after I soaked them in some salt water. But that’s about it. View attachment 2553444

Can you get some of the wrap mentioned above? You don't want to leave wounds like that exposed or you run a serious risk of infection.

 

[Eggcessive]

That looks to be frostbite on the toes, and that may be why she is being pecked. I would bring her inside where it is warm, and do a daily soak in warm water and chlorhexidene, betadine, or Epsom salts. Even mild dish detergent would be fine. Then use some disinfectant or antibiotic ointment on the toes. Leave any dressings off. A clean towel for bedding would be good for bedding in a dog crate. Once she is dry, you could keep her crate inside the coop, but if it is still freezing, I would probably keep her inside. Reintegration, inside a dog crate later would be best. The dark tips of her toes and nails will most likely fall off in several weeks.

 

[Missy020219]

Can you get some of the wrap mentioned above? You don't want to leave wounds like that exposed or you run a serious risk of infection.

At the moment no, but I could possibly get some by the end of the week. Would a cotton ball and tape work for now?

 

[Missy020219]

That looks to be frostbite on the toes, and that may be why she is being pecked. I would bring her inside where it is warm, and do a daily soak in warm water and chlorhexidene, betadine, or Epsom salts. Even mild dish detergent would be fine. Then use some disinfectant or antibiotic ointment on the toes. A clean towel for bedding would be good for bedding in a dog crate. Once she is dry, you could keep her crate inside the coop, but if it is still freezing, I would probably keep her inside. Reintegration, inside a dog crate later would be best. The dark tips of her toes and nails will most likely fall off in several weeks.

Oh I never thought of it being frostbite. Will the frostbite go away? Ok, what kind of disinfectant or antibiotic ointment? Inside the coop it isn’t freezing temps anymore.

 

[coach723]

You can't put her back out with the flock until she's recovered enough that they will leave her feet alone. You can do the crate in the run, as suggested above, so she's with the flock but still protected. The parts that are damaged by frostbite will eventually turn black and fall off. The toe that has exposed bone bears watching, I would not wrap them since it's frostbite, but I would keep the affected parts covered with either plain neosporin or plain triple antibiotic ointment, particularly the area around the exposed bone. This could take weeks to even months to resolve. She may lose several toe tips, but as long as there is no infection, she can recover and do fine.

 

[Missy020219]

You can't put her back out with the flock until she's recovered enough that they will leave her feet alone. You can do the crate in the run, as suggested above, so she's with the flock but still protected. The parts that are damaged by frostbite will eventually turn black and fall off. The toe that has exposed bone bears watching, I would not wrap them since it's frostbite, but I would keep the affected parts covered with either plain neosporin or plain triple antibiotic ointment, particularly the area around the exposed bone. This could take weeks to even months to resolve. She may lose several toe tips, but as long as there is no infection, she can recover and do fine.

Ok.

 

[Missy020219]

Do any of you know why her toes are swollen?