Bleeding Chicken - When To Integrate Back into Flock??

[KyloRenChicken7]

A couple days ago one of our chickens got a scratch on her comb. Unfortunately, one of our other hens (the leader) immediately began pecking at it, opening it up further. (We have one other hen, but she's at the bottom of the pecking order and for the most part stayed away.) She got several small scratches on her comb and a few feathers pulled before we managed to separate her from the others. We've heard about chickens and blood and separated our bleeding girl from the rest of the flock. She's been kept separate since then (two days ago).

So, my question is: when is it safe to integrate our hen back into the flock without her being in danger? Her wounds have scabbed over now but we don't want to risk putting her back too early and opening the wounds again.

Thanks for your help!

 

[ChattyChickens4Life]

I would put some Blue Kote on the wound, and put her back as long as she is healthy. If the bully starts pecking again, separate the bully. Put a dog crate or something in the run area and put the bully in that. Good luck!!!

-Chatty

 

[aart]

More Info Please
Knowing more about your goals for keeping chickens,
your flock size(numbers, ages, genders),
your coop(size in feet by feet with pics),
and what and how exactly you are feeding,
might offer clues to if there is a solvable problem.

 

[chickens really]

You can try Vasaline on the Comb?...Chickens don't like it...Put it on a bit thick and see how it goes?...
Best of luck...

 

[KyloRenChicken7]

UPDATE--- We put some Blue Kote on Buttons's (injured hen) wounds and tried to integrate her back into the flock, but the bully hen attacked again and pulled out several feathers; she also began to bully the non-injured hen. We've now separated the bully, Zippy, into the area under the roost/nest boxes (about 1x4ft) and the other two hens are in the run (the other hen that isn't injured doesn't care about the wound and leaves the injured hen alone). We've been doing this for about 2 days now. At night they roost together and there is a little scuffling before they go to sleep, but other than that we believe they sleep through the night and there are no new injuries in the morning.

Right now I'm wondering what to do next. Do bully hens ever "grow out" of this over time, as far as wounds go? She's the "leader" so she'll always do a little pecking to keep order but this behavior is causing the other hens to suffer. I'm hoping this is a phase she's going through and she'll get over it since she's hardly been a problem until this came up. Does the hen have to completely heal (scabs and everything) before the bully will back off??

As far as more info goes...
-We have hens for eggs but also as pets
-3 hens, all a little over 2 years old (same ages): a Columbian Wyandotte (Buttons, injured), a Naked-Neck "Turken" (Zippy, bully) and an Amerecauna (Astrid, observer)
-coop is ~65 square feet in an "L" shape (roost/nest boxes are to the side of the run)
-general layer's mash, in a homemade feeder

Thank you all for your suggestions... we're trying to cope with this as best we can Despite her bullying we don't want to be forced to give Zippy up!

 

[aart]

Could you post some pics of your coop/run?
Small flocks can be harder to handle behavioral problems.
Have these 3 birds lived together since chickhood?
Wonders if they might be molting,
(assuming you are in the northern hemisphere),
they can get crabby during that time.
Might want up the protein, especially animal protein.

 

[KyloRenChicken7]

A picture of the coop. There is a door (wood frame and hardware cloth) that can be put up between the run and the area under the roost, which is where Zippy is. We take it down at night so everyone can go to the roost.

All three are indeed molting. Buttons and Zippy are near the end of the molt and Astrid has just started. They have been together since chickhood.

 

[chickens really]

I would up the protein to 18%...I feed grower all year with oyster shell in a separate bowl...

 

[aart]

View attachment 1177923

A picture of the coop. There is a door (wood frame and hardware cloth) that can be put up between the run and the area under the roost, which is where Zippy is. We take it down at night so everyone can go to the roost.

All three are indeed molting. Buttons and Zippy are near the end of the molt and Astrid has just started. They have been together since chickhood.

Ooo that tiny coop might be a bit tight for 3 full grown molting, and thus crabby, hens.

Might have to do some chicken juggling to get them back together.
You have a separation setup, so use that to mix and match who is together and who is alone, swap them out frequently when you have time.

Putting some distractions in the run might help too, like places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

This article might help too:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/

 

[Mrs. K]

If you look, while your run is not real tall, it would not matter if it was taller, the birds are really only using a two dimensional space, basically the floor. One of the ways bird acknowledge the pecking order, is to move out of sight. I call it bowing to the Queen. Once they do, often times they are shortly eating right next to her.

In your set up, while a bird can move off, they cannot get out of sight. Sometimes a bully hen will take this as a bit of lip, not recognition of the pecking order, and therefore has to make a prolonged attack to prove her point. Setting up a mini wall, in the middle of that run, say 2 -3 feet wide, 2-3 tall, with openings on both sides so as not to make a trap, so a bird can duck behind it, stick a feed bowl there, and feed in two places, just to make sure all are getting some. Birds like roosts, stick a post kitty corner in the fence, lean up a pallet, or set a small piece of plywood up on blocks so birds can get on top or underneath.

Mrs K