Locking Bar Eglu Classic

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

Alan my biggest ginger bantam has a fresh cut on her comb. I've just been out to say hello and it's fresh slightly clotting blood. She's impressively flecked it out on to the snow by about half a metre. It's not a bit-deal cut, and I haven't seen any bully-pecking. I think she may have caught it on the wire or the top of the door or something. Anyone got any other theories?

 

And as a precaution, what's this purple spray, where can you get it and is that its proper name?

[Patricia W]

Mines called NAf CARE Aloe Vera Purple Spray. I got if from a pet shop nearby, but I've since seen something similar in Pets at Home. However, I seem to remember someone using flour ( to stop the bleeding) and food colouring in an emergency.

 

Mine don't have combs so no experience ( there is some advantage in a bouffant hair do!)

[Redwing]

Most people know purple spary as just simply 'purple spray'

 

Its big in the horse world but you can also get it at agricultural merchants Blue food colouring works as well and yes flour will stop the bleeding

 

If you cant cover the wound it might be best to keep the hen apart from the others until the blood has all gone

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

How does food colouring work?! I assumed the spray was for antiseptic purposes.

[Redwing]

yes the sprays are antiseptic but the main reason for using them in hens is that the purple (or blue food colouring) makes the red blood show as black not red so the other hens dont peck at it

 

Wounds on conbs normally heal pretty well by themselves so the antiseptic is a 'nice to have' rather than must have its the purple you are looking for!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I think the blue would just be to disguise the blood so the others don't peck at it.

 

I used cornflour to stop bleeding as I didn't have purple spray.

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

That sounds so weird.

 

So if I dab blue food colouring over the comb, that will work? How long before it wears off?!

[Redwing]

No idea but when it wears off it wears off!

 

I sprayed a hen with purple spray last August and she is still wearing it!

[Egluntyne]

You can get the Gentian Violet ( AKA Purple) spray at equestrian type shops and via ebay.