advice need bad case of pecking

[ozzy chooks]

Hello,

I need some advice on what to do.
One of my chicken badly pecked another hen and it was the first time.
I came home yesterday and I found the bullied with blood all over her comb.

The hens have been together for almost 2 years now.
I used to have 6, but a couple of weeks ago one died and maybe this changed the pecking order dynamics.
The bullied was teh broody who hactched the bully and she has been strong but never mean.


I took care of the injured hen, cleaner her wound, separated her and she started eating, drinking and pooping.
I left her in a cage overnight in the shed and she seemed Ok this morning, when she ate some sardines.
I took her out of the cage and let her roam in the garden and she seemed getting around OK, slow and wary but seemed OK.
Then she went in front of the run and started staring at the other hen and wouldn't move.

Because it started raining I then took her back in the shed in the cage and she seem very scared and lonely.

What should I do?

Should I keep her separate for few days, or should I try to put her back with the others?
Should I isolate the bully?

Is there a way they could be back in the same space? Are there any technique I can try?

Thank you!

 

[DobieLover]

Hello,

I need some advice on what to do.
One of my chicken badly pecked another hen and it was the first time.
I came home yesterday and I found the bullied with blood all over her comb.

The hens have been together for almost 2 years now.
I used to have 6, but a couple of weeks ago one died and maybe this changed the pecking order dynamics.
The bullied was teh broody who hactched the bully and she has been strong but never mean.


I took care of the injured hen, cleaner her wound, separated her and she started eating, drinking and pooping.
I left her in a cage overnight in the shed and she seemed Ok this morning, when she ate some sardines.
I took her out of the cage and let her roam in the garden and she seemed getting around OK, slow and wary but seemed OK.
Then she went in front of the run and started staring at the other hen and wouldn't move.

Because it started raining I then took her back in the shed in the cage and she seem very scared and lonely.

What should I do?

Should I keep her separate for few days, or should I try to put her back with the others?
Should I isolate the bully?

Is there a way they could be back in the same space? Are there any technique I can try?

Thank you!

It would help if you could post photos of your entire setup.

If you had a recent death of a flock member, you are correct in assuming that the pecking order had a greater than normal shift in dynamics.

The injuries your hen has sustained sound minor. A good cleaning and disinfecting would be all that is in order. Comb injuries look worse than they usually are because they bleed so much.

When the hen that was pecked stopped and stared down the one that did the damage, she was challenging her. If neither backed down, the issue remains unresolved. They need to sort things out on their own but they need to have lots of space to do that in with lots of places for the one that loses to get out of the line of sight of the winner. If she can't, that is when worse pecking and injuries occur.

I would crate the bully inside the coop with the flock and bring the injured girl back in and observe behavior. She does not need to be separated from the flock with her level of injury.

 

[aart]

It would help if you could post photos of your entire setup.

Yes, this^^^....and everything else she said.

 

[ozzy chooks]

I will post some pics of the setup, but I am not sure it is a huge problem.

This morning I put the bullied hen back in while the bully was laying to see reactions and other 2 hens started running towards the bullied to peck her. She was only running away.

They stopped only if I was there and clearly defending the bullied

So I took her out.
It looks like everybody apart form one hen attacks her.
And she is running away.

Now I am afraid she might be sick or very weak.
Anyway she is not even trying to defende herself.

While I was out in the garden she was strolling around, scratching and eating grass.
Now she went back in front of the run staring at the ones inside.

 

[aart]

I would crate the bully inside the coop with the flock and bring the injured girl back in and observe behavior. She does not need to be separated from the flock with her level of injury.

Crate the bully, not the bullied.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I took her out of the cage and let her roam in the garden and she seemed getting around OK, slow and wary but seemed OK.

Now I am afraid she might be sick or very weak.
Anyway she is not even trying to defende herself.

Do check her over. Was she slow and wary or just slow like she didn't feel that great?
Lice/mites?
Has she been laying eggs?
Any swelling/bloat or fluid in the abdomen?
Crop is emptying overnight?
What does her poop look like?
Can you get a fecal float to check for worms?

 

[ozzy chooks]

Crate the bully, not the bullied.

Unfortunately I found out this morning she has been pecked by three others.
which makes it difficult to crate the bullys

Do check her over. Was she slow and wary or just slow like she didn't feel that great?
Lice/mites?
Has she been laying eggs?
Any swelling/bloat or fluid in the abdomen?
Crop is emptying overnight?
What does her poop look like?
Can you get a fecal float to check for worms?

She had mite few months back (when I went away and a friends was lookign after the flock) and I treated her and the flock and since they are OK. I check regularly.
I also checked for lice/mite yesterday.

She hasn't been laying in the past 36 months.
I was worried at first since she is not yet 3yo and checked for any blockage at that time but she was behaving normally and didn't seem in pain.

What should I look for (oher than mite/lice) and check the crop?

Thank you!

 

[ozzy chooks]

and the poo is very mche green (and white) I cannot see anything in it but it is very green.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She hasn't been laying in the past 36 months.
I was worried at first since she is not yet 3yo and checked for any blockage at that time but she was behaving normally and didn't seem in pain.

What should I look for (oher than mite/lice) and check the crop?

and the poo is very mche green (and white) I cannot see anything in it but it is very green.

I'm a little confused, she's not yet 3 but hasn't laid in the past 36mo? Likely a dash is missing, so I'll assume 3-6 months? LOL

Since she's getting beat up, separating her to a crate (dog kennel works well) within the run/coop or if you have separate housing right next to the flock that would be good too. Most of the time birds do better if they are near the flock, but protected.

Did she molt in the fall?

It's not uncommon for laying hens to suffer a reproductive disorder. She may be laying internally, have Peritonitis, cancer, etc. She may also have something else going on - it's frustrating and hard to know a lot of time.

I would re-check for lice/mites, see that her crop is empty in the mornings and get her eating/drinking well. She may have been bullied away from food/water and will improve with supportive care. When I have one that is not well, I direct dose them with poultry vitamins. I like Poultry Cell, but use what you have on hand. I do make sure that they eat their normal feed, but they get a treat of egg or some other source of protein (meat, liver, fish). See if the green poop clears up with her eating well.