Oh cluck. Rusty's wing is a whole scabby situation under there.
This is the moment every chicken keeper both dreads and expects, you leave for a few days, your friend does their best, and you come home to find your favorite girl hiding a nightmare under her wing. The poster noticed a small scab, did the responsible thing by lifting the wing for a better look, and discovered the entire area was infected. That's the kind of reveal that makes your stomach drop. I've been there. You feel guilty, confused, and a little betrayed by the universe. But here's what I love about this post: it's not a panic scream. It's a careful, thoughtful breakdown from someone who already checked the camera, already separated Rusty, and already started treatment. That's not fear without context, that's fear with a first-aid kit.
The picture they paint is a puzzle. Rusty is low on the pecking order, so she lives with turkeys, a sensible move, since turkeys are generally less fowl-tempered than hens. The poster has a camera, checked it while away, and saw no aggression. The friend saw no bleeding. The other wing is fine. So what happened? My honest take? Trauma. Could be a scrape from a roost, a branch, or a clumsy landing. Could be a bite from a turkey that never escalated into a fight, just one quick nip that got infected underneath. Or it could be a feather follicle issue that turned nasty under the heat and humidity of a tucked wing. Either way, the scabby area being under there, hidden, is the scariest part. Chickens are masters of disguise when they're hurting. They'll eat, they'll scratch, they'll look fine until you lift that wing.
What I'd tell this reader directly: You're doing everything right. Separate her. Keep applying Hen Healer and disinfectants. Watch the wound closely for the next few days, if it spreads, smells, or she stops eating, that's time for a vet. But don't beat yourself up for not catching it sooner. You had a camera, you had a friend, and Rusty wasn't screaming for help. That's not negligence; that's just chicken jail. The real takeaway here is for the rest of us: next time you do a quick check on a low-ranking bird, lift both wings. Every time. Because the scab you see might just be the tip of the iceberg, and under that wing, the whole story might be waiting.