Bully Hen Pecked a Hen's Comb off

[Shari6083]

This is not an emergency, but I have a hen with no comb left. My question is will it grow back? If not, how can I help it? Story: I found my hen hiding under a ramp and thought it was just dying. But then discovered it wasn't dying so I shoo'd it out back into the yard and one of the other hens ran up to attack it. She ran back to her hiding place. So I put the wounded hen in a pen separate but with the other birds in the run. (Eventually, I will put bully hen in there, but need my wounded hen to get a little stronger.) She seems to be healing. I noticed the comb is completely gone though. Her poor little head has been throughly pecked. She has lost weight, but other than that seems healthy, as far as I can tell. I'm open to suggestions. (She is an Easter Egger, 3 years old, flock of 8, and plenty of room as their run is about 10 ft by 35 ft.)

 

[coach723]

The comb will not grow back. The wounds should heal, but what is missing will remain missing. Comb injuries can bleed a lot, so if that is an issue you can use cornstarch to help it stop. You can use vetericyn spray or plain neosporin on it to help it heal and prevent infection. A couple of thoughts: I would keep the bullied bird separated and protected until she's healed and no longer a pecking risk. The other birds will peck at wounds and make them worse, especially if they are red or bleeding. I would also keep an eye on her to determine if the weight loss is due to being kept away from feeders, or if there is something else going on. If she has another underlying problem, which may be subtle, the other birds will notice and it can trigger her being attacked. It's just survival instinct to try to drive a sick or weak bird from the flock. Check her droppings to see if they are normal, check crop function, see if she has any swelling in the abdomen. Watch for anything 'off'. You will have ample opportunity while she's recuperating. Monitor her weight to see if she gains while not competing for feed.
If it's just from her being low in the pecking order and being bullied then add some feeders and waterers so that she has more opportunities to get to them. Placing stumps, large rocks, roosts etc, around where birds can kind of hide from others or get up and away can help, just be sure they can't be cornered there. And I would separate the bully, if that's the case, away from sight and hearing of the flock for awhile, and then try to reintroduce. She will then be the 'newbie' and it may stop the bullying. Sometimes that works. And space requirements 'on paper' sound great, but the truth is in what happens in the coop and run. Space requirements can vary greatly based on breeds kept and individual personalities of birds. Just something to consider. If none of those things makes a difference then you may need to consider rehomeing one of them, either the bully or the target.

 

[Shari6083]

Thanks! Very helpful!