HELP!! My hens are injured!

[mariaschickens]

Help, this is the second hen i've found with the same injury... a deep slash/cut right under her wing. It looks like a razor wire cut, but there is none around! I've been watching my roosters, could they be doing this to them? I have big roos and they breed my hens constantly. I'm afraid that my big roos are cutting open my hens ( i mean like they need stitches open). i dont know what to do?! I think if it happens again i'll get rid of my roosters. Anyone have any suggestions or thoughts?

 

[tadpole98]

Help, this is the second hen i've found with the same injury... a deep slash/cut right under her wing. It looks like a razor wire cut, but there is none around! I've been watching my roosters, could they be doing this to them? I have big roos and they breed my hens constantly. I'm afraid that my big roos are cutting open my hens ( i mean like they need stitches open). i dont know what to do?! I think if it happens again i'll get rid of my roosters. Anyone have any suggestions or thoughts?

How about an experiment?
Wrap their spurs with vet wrap to make sure they arent sharp and see if it happens again..
But quite honestly I have never heard of them cutting like that.

 

[mariaschickens]

Thank you, i'm open to all and any advice. But, your idea sounds like a good one! I'll try it!! I'm like u though, i've never heard of roos cutting hens like this. What about biting? I have a couple that like to bite the other birds.... I'm thinking that i'm going to get rid of all my aggressive birds, just to be safe.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Thank you, i'm open to all and any advice. But, your idea sounds like a good one! I'll try it!! I'm like u though, i've never heard of roos cutting hens like this. What about biting? I have a couple that like to bite the other birds.... I'm thinking that i'm going to get rid of all my aggressive birds, just to be safe.

You could also de-spur your roos. I've met people who've had roosters with such pointy spurs they can stab a hen so deeply that she didn't make it.

It's very simple to remove rooster spurs. The roosters even look prouder.

All you need is a pair of pliers, quick stop and gauze pads (if it bleeds at all).

Take the pliers and grip the spur firmly at the base (not tightly). And rock the pliers and the spur back and forth. There should be a pop or click and the spur will come off. There will be a raw new small spur with a little blood on it. Usually the spur won't bleed, if there are a few drops just take some quick stop and gauze and pat it on the new spur.

If you don't want to do that you can just clip the ends off with a pair of dog toe-nail trimmers.


Now talking about the hens.

Clean the wounds. (If you think they go to the muscle, get a vet.)
Put some antiseptic ointment (or Neosporin) on the cut.
You can get a blood disguise called "Blu-Kote". Dab it on next, so the other hens won't pick at the wound. Watch the wound every day to make sure it is doing alright.


Good luck.

 

[tadpole98]

Thank you, i'm open to all and any advice. But, your idea sounds like a good one! I'll try it!! I'm like u though, i've never heard of roos cutting hens like this. What about biting? I have a couple that like to bite the other birds.... I'm thinking that i'm going to get rid of all my aggressive birds, just to be safe.

Usually when my roosters bite my hens they make the head bleed, I dont think they would bite them under the wing..

 

[mariaschickens]

So, thank you, to all of you for the reply's... I think i have figured out my problem with my hens getting cut all to pieces. My roos have the longest toenails i have ever seen!! I'm new to all this and no one ever told me that i needed to keep an eye on toenails...lol. Last night i found another hen with the same deep cut under her wing, that made two injured hens! so, tonight, i was going through my flock counting them and so on.. and the thought hit me...toenails, and sure enough my roos have some long ones and they are sharp! I guess i'll trim them off tomorrow and see if it helps.

 

[mariaschickens]

Thanks for your help. Although i lost the first hen that i found injured, i do have a second one that is not in such bad shape. I've brought my hen inside and put her in a large cage, then i cleaned and dressed her as you told me to. Her wound could have used a few stiches...but i think it was a bit too late when i found it, it has already started to heal.
Now she is doing well. But is it normal for her to pick at her wound? It seems as though she is missing a few more feathers than i remember.

 

[casportpony]

Usually when my roosters bite my hens they make the head bleed, I dont think they would bite them under the wing..

Their spurs rip them.

 

[casportpony]

So, thank you, to all of you for the reply's... I think i have figured out my problem with my hens getting cut all to pieces. My roos have the longest toenails i have ever seen!! I'm new to all this and no one ever told me that i needed to keep an eye on toenails...lol. Last night i found another hen with the same deep cut under her wing, that made two injured hens! so, tonight, i was going through my flock counting them and so on.. and the thought hit me...toenails, and sure enough my roos have some long ones and they are sharp! I guess i'll trim them off tomorrow and see if it helps.

I guess toenails could do that, cut away!

 

[mariaschickens]

See, the reason i'm thinking the toenails is bc my roos do not have any spurs to speak of, they are still young.