Bleeding Around "vent"

[tigerbarbd]

Good evening........We have 25, 20 week old chicks (pullets), and they are starting to "lay". First 1, then 3, and today there were 9, but we noticed one of the Road Island Reds, had blood on her back side. There does not seem to be anything like "prolapse", we think that maybe (hopefully), she had trouble with her first egg, then all the other girls noticed "something different" about her and started pecking her around the vent. She doesn't seem to be in any pain, but she keeps "flexing" that area. We put her in a separate coop for now, until we can find out whats wrong. Thank you for any suggestions..................Don

 

[easttxchick]

I was going to suggest picking by the other hens as well.
Was it a lot of blood?
Separating her was a great thing to do-I would watch her for a few days to make sure it isn't anything more serious.
Good luck and hope she heals up soon.

 

[chookchick]

You could try putting blue-kote, or some other gentian violet anti-pick ointment on her vent, and see if the others will leave her alone. Make sure you have all your bases covered so picking doesn't start up--do you have lots of room for them? Plenty of protein in diet? Enough nest boxes? Oyster shell available (even with a layer ration)? Stuff to keep them busy, like cabbage heads, piles of leaves...

 

[tigerbarbd]

Thank you Easttxchick, and Chookchick ! We will check at TSC for some ointment. We have a 12'x12' ex Horse stall for a Coop, but I only have 6 nesting boxes? We feed them the "Purina Layena" and always have self serve "grit" , but had not started them on "oyster shell" yet, they just started laying this week. ..........Don