Can a "toe picker" be reformed?

[kipper]

We have 25 chicks that are almost 8 weeks old. They have plenty of food, water, space, and heat at night.n We have raised amny chickens, but have our first ever toe picker.

We noticed blood on the beak of our Polish cockerel, then saw him peck the foot of a Maran pullet with what looks like part of it's toe missing and the bone exposed! We have treated the injury and separated her from the flock and she is resting, eating, and drinking.

We don't know if she injured her foot first, or if he just attacked it. Will a roo who does this be expected to do this again? I have heard of this, but never witnessed it.

I

 

[RedDrgn]

Chickens have an ingrained blood lust and drive to pick and peck and worry over any/every injury. It's possible that your marans just had a scratch on her toe, but once the other realized it, they went nuts. It's their nature and it's why minor wounds can become very serious ones very quickly.

Keep your injured chicken out until they have fully recovered and then reintroduce and watch them all CLOSELY. While it's unlikely that you have a toe picker so much as a normal chicken persisting after a wound, it's possible. If the roo goes after an uninjured toe and causes any injury in persisting to do so, then I'd cull him.