Cannibalistic feather picking? GRAPHIC PICS

[campingshaws]

I picked up 6 bantam cochins from a friend. They were crowded and had picked the tails bald on a few. I put them in a bigger cage for quarantine and it was all going well. Yesterday I needed the bigger cage so I put them back in a small one. It was 24 hours.

This is the first casualty:

I'm isolating her, obviously. For wound dressing: I irrigated with saline wound spray, and that's it so far. I have blu-kote on hand, and trip anti-biotic ointment. I've used blu-kote with good results before, but I've been told that other choices are better for deep wounds? Vetricyn I think?

@casportpony

I'll get a pic of the frizzle in a second.

 

[campingshaws]

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Hey there. I would use betadine first. Then I would up their protein dramatically along with giving them more room. I lost a few birds like that. I thought it was rats till I caught them eating each other at dusk.

I was using 60% fishmeal mixed with 16% organic grower at a 1:10 ratio to get 20% protein. After about 10 weeks, I eliminated the fishmeal. They immediately started eating feathers and cannibalizing. I upped the protein again and the problem stopped. They had lots of space so that wasn't a problem.

For a quick fix, give them some canned tuna, mackerel (much cheaper) or meat for a couple days to satisfy that need.

 

[campingshaws]

Hey there. I would use betadine first. Then I would up their protein dramatically along with giving them more room.  I lost a few birds like that. I thought it was rats till I caught them eating each other at dusk.

I was using 60% fishmeal mixed with 16% organic grower at a 1:10 ratio to get 20% protein. After about 10 weeks, I eliminated the fishmeal. They immediately started eating feathers and cannibalizing. I upped the protein again and the problem stopped. They had lots of space so that wasn't a problem.

For a quick fix, give them some canned tuna, mackerel (much cheaper) or meat for a couple days to satisfy that need.

Thanks! So betadine on the injuries and increased protein for everyone? I'm working to scrounge up a heat lamp for the "hospital" which is a hamster crate and a cat crate in my bathroom.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

For normal bite wounds, flushing with saline doesn't hurt first, then the betadine and finally some eye type antibiotic ointment. The eye type melts at body temperature so it seeps deep in the wound.
I also use campho phenique because it is an itch/pain reliever in addition to antiseptic.

Get the protein into them today though. Do you know what kind of feed they had been eating? How old are they?

 

[campingshaws]

For normal bite wounds, flushing with saline doesn't hurt first, then the betadine and finally some eye type antibiotic ointment. The eye type melts at body temperature so it seeps deep in the wound.
I also use campho phenique because it is an itch/pain reliever in addition to antiseptic.

Get the protein into them today though. Do you know what kind of feed they had been eating? How old are they?

About 6-8 weeks. Not sure what they were getting before, I'm feeding chick starter which I think is 18%. I think grower has 20%.

I have betadine and I did have campho phenique if it didn't run out. And I have cans of tuna, salmon, and "beef with juices" that someone gave me, so I can do that right now too.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Good luck.

I was convinced I had rats till I looked into the stall where all the birds slept in a group on the floor and saw two chickens on each side eating their siblings back.
Every night is was another one. I eventually lost 3 of them and saved 2 more. It took them a while to heal.

 

[Dannachic]

that looks bad..i hope the treatment works for them..are they actually eating each other??

 

[campingshaws]

Danna, yesterday they had intact skin and pin feathers growing in. And this today. So sure seems like it.

The frizzle is acting pretty lively, vocalizing and flapping around. The white one just lays puffed up with her eyes closed. I need to run get the betadine (I only had iodides tincture which is apparently not safe for anything) and I'll try a bit of syringe feeding, at least fluids and electrolytes.

 

[1brock]

I am having same problem except my poor chicken has been sitting on eggs for about 2 weeks and then today i noticed the back of her neck looked just like the picture above, ive noticed a couple other hens trying to get in same nesting box while she is in there, she hardly leaves nesting box, i enclosed her and another turkey hen that is also nesting in a separate part of coop, probably should have done that sooner, im going to try adding more protein, they are on Nutrena laying crumble which is 16% i believe.