Limping hen

[grubbysoles]

Hi all, I hope you can help me, one of my hens is injured! I've not had an injured one before so not sure what to do.

Yesterday I noticed that she had a cut on one of her ankles (if they're called 'ankles' on hens!?). I can't work out where she could have got it from, unless they've been fighting or what not. Anyway, the cut was quite bloody but she seemed happy enough so I just left it alone to heal in the fresh air. Today, though, she is limping, and she also has another smaller cut in the same place on the other ankle.

Obviously I'm going to need to intervene now - just wondering if there's anything in particular that I should put on the injuries to clean them/protect them/help them heal? I've had a google and found some info about mixing iodine with warm water and squirting it on with a needle-less syringe - does this sound about right? And where can I buy iodine?! Would they have it at the vets? Is there anything I can put/spray on the wound afterwards to help keep it clean while it heals? They're not the cleanest of animals, are they!

thanks for any advice you can give me. I want to get in there before it gets any worse or gets infected.

[bonniethomas06]

Hi,

Sorry I can't be more specific, but you can buy an iodine spray (available at our local pet feed shop) which where I live is referred to as 'purple spray' (even by vets) which usually does the trick?

Poor little chooky, I would also be inclined to cover it in vaseline afterwards to stop nasties getting in - but that's just me. Good luck.

[Darroch]

My neighbour swears by manuka honey. It's got antiseptic properties, I think!

I find that chickens heal very well. Our dog got one of ours when she escaped and I thought she was a goner, but I put her in the broody house by herself, kept her warm and gave her lots of lovely treats and she was as right as rain in a coupe of days.
Hope your one makes a full recovery.

[Mrs H]

Hi,

Sorry I can't be more specific, but you can buy an iodine spray (available at our local pet feed shop) which where I live is referred to as 'purple spray' (even by vets) which usually does the trick?

Poor little chooky, I would also be inclined to cover it in vaseline afterwards to stop nasties getting in - but that's just me. Good luck.

We got blue spray over here!!! And I swear by it for all our animals, works a treat. If u can't get hold of any spray a saline solution will clean it out and a drop of vaseline will act as a barrier. Xx

[grubbysoles]

Hi everyone, thanks for the advice! I couldn't find any of the blue spray (I don't have a car and couldn't get to the pet feed place where they might have it), I walked to the local pharmacy and got some strange looks from the girls behind the counter when I asked for something to clean a wound on a chicken! I got a bottle of some kind of peroxide, watered it right down and squirted it on said hen's leg with a turkey baster (oh, the irony...). Slapped on the vaseline and it all seems to have healed up a treat. A bit 'make-do' but she lived to tell the tale!!

Thanks for the tips!

[Millymollymandy]

Glad to hear it (and had a good chuckle too ).

[Mrs H]

Glad to here she's doing better. Lmao at the turkey baster!! Just another thought, I use teabags if our cats get bad eyes because the tanin in the tea works a treat not sure if it would work on cuts, must give it a try. Nxt time ur out and about try and get some spray, it lasts for ages and is a godsend because it saves any faffing about, a quick squirt does the trick! Xx