Hi I am new to chicken farming. We have 4 chickens and they just started laying about 2 weeks ago. In that time hen pecking has become an issue. Currently we have one nest box, which I read was adequate for 4 birds. Regardless I have been coming home from work to find scabs on comb and blood on feather. Our leghorn was the first victim, she had a large chunk taken out of the back of her comb, by the time I came home it was done bleeding and we cleaned her up, she is now fine. But now the barred who I thought was on the top if the pecking order is getting beaten up on now. This is now the second time her comb has bleed. I was shocked to see all the blood on her face.
I was going to check on them before I left for work today when I discovered she had been pecked. I felt helpless in that moment. I couldn't take the time to help her because I would have been late for work and my husband and I are gone for at least 8 hours every day. I did have time to switch out the ceramic heat bulb with a red light to discourage further pecking and I tried to put pressure on her comb, but all i felt like I did was manage to stress her out more. I did put some corn starch on her comb but the blood just went right through. Like I said I didn't have much time to help. She seemed to be behaving normally other than shaking her head to get the blood off. It was running down to the tip of her beak.
So here are my questions,
Is she going to be ok? My experience with the other times is that it eventually stops bleeding, but I am nervous because I am not there to check on how she is doing. My husband is going home for lunch and will check on her then. But comb injuries seem to bleed a lot and for a long time. It does eventually stop right? I have read about removing the top hen and then introducing her back a few days later so that she is on the bottom again.
Does she run the risk of frost bite in the coop because of all the blood? We have a 60W red heat bulb and the 4x4 coop is insulated. today it is about 27 degrees F. On any other day they are fine with that temp, but I just worry cause she is wet.
Typically we open the coop to the elements, but today is going to be below 0 and a wind chill even colder. I feel so sick about all of this, I try to remember that they are not pets but birds for egg production, but I still want to do right by them. Thanks for any advice, I dont mean to freak out, but hen pecking was something we didn't anticipate. We are learning something new each day
I was going to check on them before I left for work today when I discovered she had been pecked. I felt helpless in that moment. I couldn't take the time to help her because I would have been late for work and my husband and I are gone for at least 8 hours every day. I did have time to switch out the ceramic heat bulb with a red light to discourage further pecking and I tried to put pressure on her comb, but all i felt like I did was manage to stress her out more. I did put some corn starch on her comb but the blood just went right through. Like I said I didn't have much time to help. She seemed to be behaving normally other than shaking her head to get the blood off. It was running down to the tip of her beak.
So here are my questions,
Is she going to be ok? My experience with the other times is that it eventually stops bleeding, but I am nervous because I am not there to check on how she is doing. My husband is going home for lunch and will check on her then. But comb injuries seem to bleed a lot and for a long time. It does eventually stop right? I have read about removing the top hen and then introducing her back a few days later so that she is on the bottom again.
Does she run the risk of frost bite in the coop because of all the blood? We have a 60W red heat bulb and the 4x4 coop is insulated. today it is about 27 degrees F. On any other day they are fine with that temp, but I just worry cause she is wet.
Typically we open the coop to the elements, but today is going to be below 0 and a wind chill even colder. I feel so sick about all of this, I try to remember that they are not pets but birds for egg production, but I still want to do right by them. Thanks for any advice, I dont mean to freak out, but hen pecking was something we didn't anticipate. We are learning something new each day
