Tom Hurt Hen bad.

[ziggywiggy]

My Midget White Tom split one of my hens open while breeding. The skin on the hen's side is peeled back about 4 to 5 inches. It's a huge gaping wound. A neighbor and myself sowed her back up. Is this a rare occurance? I'm applying hydrogen peroxide and giving her antibiotics. The hen will definitly not be able to breed for at least a year if ever.
I'm thinking I should replace my Tom with one younger and lighter and eat him but, I'm not sure if he would be very good eating because he's about 4 years old. Does anyone have any thoughts on eating an older Tom? I'm kind of attached to the guy but sometimes you have to do what you have to do and he is way heavier than my hens. I've been worried about something like this happening for awhile.

 

[MandyH]

It happens. You can put a saddle on her. I have always just seperated the injured ones and tried to watch the others.

 

[RAREROO]

I've had that happen with chickens before and I think once with my turkeys. But be careful with that peroxide, I had a chicken hen that was cut like that one time and I just poured some peroxide in the wound to begin with and it gave her a heart attack or something and killed her, but after you sew her up, just use some peroxide, neosporin, and vasiline to keep it clean and she should be able to breed this year, maybe see about getting a breeding saddle for her and the other hens.

 

[turkey guru]

once she goes down the other toms will step on making matters worse,saddle or she is done for the season!!! tom

 

[RAREROO]

Here is someone that sells breeding saddles. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=302097

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

yep like RAREROO said, she'll get over it, it's very common for turkeys to do this, the skin on their side is very thin and the toms weigh a lot and have sharp toes, and they like to stay on them a long time, so all that together makes turkeys more prone to getting breeding cuts. I've had it several times, they heal up quickly and still continue to breed and lay right on threw it. If possible, separate her for a week or two and shell heal right up. Switching toms wont do you any good, they all do it.
Good luck

 

[ziggywiggy]

Quote:
Thank you all for the excellant advice. My wife and I would be very upset if we had to get rid of Mr. Bauchmann. I'll order the saddles.

 

[boxermom]

You should only use the peroxide initially to clean the blood off the wound. After that, leave it alone. Peroxide inhibits the healing by washing away the new fluid that makes the tissue. That is why you have to keep stitches in humans dry for 24 hours. It gives the wound a good healing time on the surface.

 

[AHappychick]

Quote:
yes I was about to say that. after the initial peroxide treatment only use aan ointment like bacitracin or neosporin (with out added pain killer VERY ImPORTANT) on the wound. Blue Kote is also good to have around.

Good luck they can heal very well even when it looks horrible.