Treating a Chook injury???

[mew]

One of my chooks has a bit of an injury, I dont know if shes cut herself somehow in the run or whether one of the others has had a bit of a peck.

I guess the lack of feathers make it look worse than it actually is.

Shes absolutely fine and dandy in herself but just wondered if i should be leaving well alone or whether I should be attempting to clean it up with something and if so, what am I best using.

Many thanks

MEW x

[farmerdrea]

If there's any blood, the other chooks will probably peck her to bits. Depends on there the injury is, though. I usually keep pinetar or petroleum-based iodine goo on hand for wounds on animals, and one application is usually all that's necessary. The pinetar usually stays on for much longer than the iodine goo, and the chooks leave it completely alone (which is what you need if there's any blood or evena scabbed over area. If the chooks are free-ranging they tend to leave each other alone, but if they're caged at all, they will pick at each other's wounds.

The only time I've removed birds from the flock is when injuries have been extreme (ran over one old hen in some long grass with the lawnmower - she had a nest no one knew about - and chopped off half her wing and skin on her back. She was caged and treated away from the flock and lived to tell the tale. Another hen had been attacked by a stray dog and had a huge hole in her breast, and also lived to lay another day, but only through being caged away from the flock, small cage, warm dimly lit room, iodine dipped bandages on her back.

Hope she's ok.

Andrea
NZ