Young hen wing injury with green skin? - updated with pictures

[Amyh]

OMG, I'm so upset. My daughter was just holding our young barred rock pullet and I noticed that her wing "elbow" was bloody. I thought she might have been pecked by the other chickens because she is smaller and younger. When I got her inside, I looked closely at it and it is very raw and yucky looking and the skin above it is bright green. She is also drooping the wing quite a bit.

Is this a nasty infection? Should I cull this young hen immediately? She is in the tub right now in the dark and not making a sound. I don't want her to be in any pain, but I don't want to count her out if there is anything I can do.

Help!!!

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Likely don't need to cull. But the wound will need to be cleaned out well to clear away infection, puss and dead tissue, flushed with provodine iodine and dressed. Antibiotic cream (with no pain killer) would be good. Putting her on antibiotics might also be good depending on how extensive the infection.

Green skin can be brusing but might be more involved infection. Pulling off some feathers to see whats up is ok too.

 

[tammye]

The green may just be brusing(? spelling). they can survive some pretty nasty wounds. Keep it clean and dry, put neosporin on it, give her some electrolytes for strenght and keep her isolated until she heals, you may have to keep her safe until she gets bigger. good luck

 

[Amyh]

For now, I've isolated her, given her fresh water, cooked egg and some yogurt. I will attempt to clean out the wound when my husband gets home. He will have to hold her because she will not let me clean it right now.

Thank you.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

One importaint aspect of wound care is don't wait. If she is being difficult about it, wrap her up in a towl cover her head and lay her good side down so you can work on the wing. She will calm right down.

You can do it, she needs your help.

 

[Amyh]

I just washed it out with warm water and put some peroxide mixed with warm water to clean it. Poor baby...

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Good that you've gotten a start on it. Just don't use Peroxide again for this wound. If used repeatedly Peroxide will inhibit the growth of healthy new cells. A triple antibiotic ointment should be applied to the surface as well.

Keep us posted on how it's going.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Good stuff, agree on peroxide, it is not my first choice either but it does work in a pinch.

Did you make any more observations of the injury, trimming some feathers back is a good idea, it will help you see what is going on and make it easier to treat/clean the wound. A few missing feathers is the least of the worry.

 

[chkn]

I had one like that. She held out the wing a little and the elbow was swollen. Seemed injured there and when I looked close the whole wing was bright, bright green. I treated it and gave her some amoxacillin for a few days and it completely cleared up. I thought she was a goner too! It's hard to say whether it was the amoxacillin because the improvement came in a day or two. There's some condition too where chicken's wings turn green but I concluded maybe a circulation problem, like a blood clot.

 

[Amyh]

Where do I get all of these medications??