Bought some Hens today and they got in a fight.......

[TNChick82]

Well went to a livestock sales and flea market today. In London, KY. I bought a 4 2 month old hens off of a very nice couple. We got 2 white leg horns and 2 golden comets. I had brought a large pet taxi with me. So we put all 4 in the cage. They were fine for a while and then the white ones attacked the red ones. I separated them just as quickly as I could. Found a box it put the comets in. One of the comets did have a place next to her tail feathers. Now I am so worried they will kill her. If I put them all the the coop together. What do I need to do? I don't have a separate place to put her. Can I put anything on her wound? I am still new to all this. I really like the golden comets. They are very friendly. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

You can put antibiotic ointment on the wound (with no pain killers in it). If it looks like it needs washing you can wash it first.

With a wound, generally you must separate a chicken or they will turn cannibalistic.

You have a pet carrier- will it fit inside the coop? You can put the injured chicken in it at night to protect her (and the other Comet too).

Can you set them up with a separate temporary pen for daytime with some chicken wire or anything on hand to go inside the run? If they free range, maybe they won't pick on each other at that time. I don't know how the Leghorns will treat them free ranging.

IF the wound is severe, and the Comet needs rest, she can just stay all day and night in the carrier to recuperate. But you haven't said that she is that bad, so I assume she needs exercise.

 

[mychookschick]

Also, there is a anti-bacterial spray called Blu-Kote. It is blue, so that the other chickens won't see any blood or red spots! I have used it plenty and never had a problem with it!

 

[TNChick82]

Quote:
Hello,
Thanks for the reply! It took me a while to get back because I was out watching them in the coop. I have accumulated a few different sizes of pet-carriers over the years. So I had to move some around. Our chihuahuas sleep in some crates that are really to big for them. So I thought those would be better. I cleaned them out and gave the Comets the bigger one. Then another smaller one ...I used for my 1 month old domer and 1 1/2 month old red sex-link. I was afraid the leghorns would kill them to night. Are the leghorns all ways this mean? If so I will need to find a different white egg layer. I seen them go after the domer a few times. We are still working on the run. Its framed up. Just need to get the wire on. (not enough hours in the day when both parents work full time jobs. Luckily I had today off.) The chickens came from the same person and I thought they would be okay with one another. The place on her back is about the size of a dime.

 

[TNChick82]

Quote:
Can I find this at Co-Op? That's all we have local. Thanks for the reply!

 

[N2Shown]

You should be able to find it anywhere that has any kind of livestock supplies whatsoever. Petsmart even had it at one time.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
Hello,
Thanks for the reply! It took me a while to get back because I was out watching them in the coop. I have accumulated a few different sizes of pet-carriers over the years. So I had to move some around. Our chihuahuas sleep in some crates that are really to big for them. So I thought those would be better. I cleaned them out and gave the Comets the bigger one. Then another smaller one ...I used for my 1 month old domer and 1 1/2 month old red sex-link. I was afraid the leghorns would kill them to night. Are the leghorns all ways this mean? If so I will need to find a different white egg layer. I seen them go after the domer a few times. We are still working on the run. Its framed up. Just need to get the wire on. (not enough hours in the day when both parents work full time jobs. Luckily I had today off.) The chickens came from the same person and I thought they would be okay with one another. The place on her back is about the size of a dime.

Some folks have trouble with leghorns being cannibalistic a bit if irked/stressed/overcrowded. Maybe they were just stressed from being moved. I have California Whites, which are a cross. Others have absolutely no trouble with their Leghorns.

I just wanted to mention that my Buttercups are very sweet (and my California Whites). My Buff Minorca is sweet as well, but all three of these white egglaying breeds are a bit flighty compared to my heavy brown egg layers.

 

[TNChick82]

Quote:
Hello,
Thanks for the reply! It took me a while to get back because I was out watching them in the coop. I have accumulated a few different sizes of pet-carriers over the years. So I had to move some around. Our chihuahuas sleep in some crates that are really to big for them. So I thought those would be better. I cleaned them out and gave the Comets the bigger one. Then another smaller one ...I used for my 1 month old domer and 1 1/2 month old red sex-link. I was afraid the leghorns would kill them to night. Are the leghorns all ways this mean? If so I will need to find a different white egg layer. I seen them go after the domer a few times. We are still working on the run. Its framed up. Just need to get the wire on. (not enough hours in the day when both parents work full time jobs. Luckily I had today off.) The chickens came from the same person and I thought they would be okay with one another. The place on her back is about the size of a dime.

Some folks have trouble with leghorns being cannibalistic a bit if irked/stressed/overcrowded. Maybe they were just stressed from being moved. I have California Whites, which are a cross. Others have absolutely no trouble with their Leghorns.

I just wanted to mention that my Buttercups are very sweet (and my California Whites). My Buff Minorca is sweet as well, but all three of these white egglaying breeds are a bit flighty compared to my heavy brown egg layers.

I hope that once they settle in. They will calm down. These are all the Hen I plan on having. Well lol (Chicken Math right) I do want a colored egg layer. But don't know which one to get. Our 4 year old would get a kick out of having colored eggs. Any ways thanks for your time!!! I will post tomorrow evening on how things are going.

 

[Dutchgirl]

Generally a small amount of antibiotic ointment works. As chookschick said, if it's bleeding enough you will need Blu-Kote. If needed you should separate the hen and treat her. Also Vaseline - petroleum jelly - may work. I'm not sure. We use it on frostbitten rooster combs.

 

[JustAChickenLittle&More]

I agree with chickensaresweet. I used to raise Leghorns. For some reason I couldn't put any other breed with the older ones. If they grew up together they were fine. But Lord help the new chickens in the older HenHouse.