Bright red blood in coop

[BlindLemonChicken]

Happy Thanksgiving!

I went out to get eggs this afternoon and there was bright red blood splattered under the roost. Nothing on eggs. It doesn't appear to involve poop (it was on top of poop but not in it and had apparently splattered from a chicken sitting on the roost). Probably a couple tbsps of fresh blood-it wasn't from overnight though I don't peek in the coop in the morning it would have dried by now and it's super fresh.

Anyway...I cannot catch each chicken and individually inspect them because I'm super pregnant and slow. I don't see any blood on any of them, including their feet. If it were a toe injury wouldn't there be more evidence? But like I said, I didn't inspect every vent physically just observed them. I imagine if it were one of the ones actually laying it would be on the eggs so I have it narrowed down to three. I'm going to check that spot on the roost tonight and see who is sleeping there for sure. I lost a pullet last week to unknown causes. She was stiff when I found her but her vent and crop appeared normal. Pretty sure this is unrelated but any ideas would be useful.

 

[sourland]

In cold weather, combs/wattles and torn toenails can bleed a lot.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

In cold weather, combs/wattles and torn toenails can bleed a lot.

If it were a comb or wattle I would expect to see it on feathers, which I don't. I can definitely see it being a toenail but i don't see any blood anywhere in the run where they roost or hang out either. They use a white ladder to get up to that roost and there's no blood on it, either. Maybe I will find out more tonight when I do my inspection. It would be nice if it were it a toenail.

 

[SueT]

Yeah, I think a comb torn would be obvious, bleeding a lot, running down the face, I had a leghorn who had been attacked by another and the comb was bloody, she was shaking her head and the blood was splattered everywhere, the walls, the roosts.

 

[sourland]

Yeah, I think a comb torn would be obvious, bleeding a lot, running down the face,

Not necessarily. A very small nick can cause irritation and extreme head shaking/splatter.

 

[21hens-incharge]

When they are roosted are you able to grab each one to check them over?
If so look for a prolapse while looking at other areas.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Found the poor girl with dried blood on her bum feathers. Looks like there is fresh blood under the roost. It didn't look prolapsed but if it is there isn't much to be done, is there? She is an older girl and hasn't been laying for a month or so. She just finished a molt. She's acting normal but she is second in command so she kind of has to lol. I'll check on her again tomorrow and do a little research here meantime.