Bullied hen

[Dieselchick88]

One of my 5 week old coturnix hens was attacked today and she has a wound that covers at least half of her head. I have isolated her and have put neosporin on the wound. Is this something she can recover from or will I have to put her out of her misery?

 

[Sill]

I have seen them recover from wounds worse than this. Keep it clean and keep her isolated until she heals enough that it looks normal or they will pick at it again.

If you try to re-introduce her to the same covey move all the birds to a new cage so they are all on neutral territory. You can move them back after a day or two, by then it will be neutral territory too. Just make sure to keep and eye on them in case she gets bullied again.

You didn't say how she was housed. What was the ratio of males to females in the cage? Were they all the same age?

 

[Dieselchick88]

Ok thanks, right now they are 20 birds in a 5' x '6' grow out pen, will be butchering most of the Roos soon and saving the hens for egg laying

 

[crazyfeathers]

Poor baby. Chickens can be so nasty to each other, yep I know pecking order. :/