22 December 2011

Hensington Hospital

I've had a Light Sussex hen in the Hensington Hospital for a few days here. She is one of the 'guest hens' that is staying with us while her family are overseas for the Christmas Holidays and the poor thing has caught a cold. (Colds/respiratory infections) are fairly common amongst chicken flocks and this is nothing serious. However, because she has been a little bit off colour, she has also become the victim of some bullying from her coopmates. She wound up with an injury to her head near her comb which was quite inflamed and sore so I decided to separate her out from the flock and put her into sickbay.

Photo showing (black, crusty)  nasal discharge and the sore, red area next to her
comb where another hen has pecked her.
 


Closeup of peck injury near comb on the lefthand side of the hen's head.
Swollen, sore and hot to the touch.
I isolated her, and put some avian multi-vitamins in her drinking water and then cleaned the injury with diluted hydrogen peroxide in water. I also used a Q Tip to clean some of the gunk out of her nostrils and then applied Savlon cream to the injured place on her head.

Today, the hen seems a little brighter and she laid an egg this morning which is generally a good sign. Her appetite is still good and she seems to enjoy the taste of the water with vitamins added. I will clean her wound again this afternoon, and see how she goes over the next few days. She is still coughing, so not completely out of the woods, yet. I am confident she will make a full recovery though.

Photo taken this afternoon showing reduction of swelling around the peck
injury and cleaner nostrils.

2 comments:

  1. I'm glad to hear she is doing a little better.

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  2. Thanks PM! It's due to the great advice I received about her that she is coming good so quickly.

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