Here's some information on treating flystrike:
Step One in Flystrike Treatment – Clean the Wound
Trim away the feathers and clean out the wound removing all maggots – As with Botfly attacks, cleaning out the wound will result in a deep open hole that must be kept clean and treated daily.
Step Two – Isolate
Isolate the chicken, confining them to an area where you can monitor the progress carefully and administer flystrike treatment on a daily basis. I honestly don’t know how large ranches with hundreds of chickens manage a case of flystrike. I would hope they would be diligent about the care and the wound treatment. In a homestead situation, it is something manageable, although time consuming and unpleasant.
Step Three – Daily Wound Care
Keep the chicken in a dry, well-ventilated area. If there are still loose bowel movements, treat this also. It is important to keep the feces from sticking to the chicken's vent area.
Flystrike treatment will also include daily cleaning and removal of any manure and feces from the area, in order to not attract more flies.
- Clean out the wound with sterile saline solution.
- Wash out the area with an antibacterial soap. The affected area may be tender, so handle the wound as gently as possible.
- Gently dry the affected area
Apply a triple antibiotic cream (
one that does not contain a pain reliever) inside and outside of the wound.
In livestock, using a fly repellent cream, such as Swat, around the affected area will also deter more flies from trying to attack the wound.
Your hen is going to make it. She has you.
