Chicken attacked by flock

[sagehound]

Hi,
I wasn't sure where to post this since I have questions on why it happened and then the care of the injuries after.

I went out to my coop this afternoon and found 1 hen out of 14 with a bloody head. Nobody else had anything wrong with them. She was missing feathers from her head and as i cleaned her up she had some bad cuts on the side of her head. There was splattered blood on the coop walls as well as the roosts. I was just out there about 3 hours prior and everyone was fine. They live in an enclosed run and coop so no free ranging. This flock of birds has grown up together as I bought them all from Meyers in one order. There haven't been any issues previously. I have one rooster that also came with the initial chicks.

Is this normal? Do I need to worry that they will turn on another hen? Am I doing something wrong?

As far as the injury goes. I cleaned her up with Vetricyn and have her in the house in a soft crate with food and water (with electrolytes). From what I have read, I should not put her back in with the rest of the group until she has healed or they will just pick at her. I also wasn't sure if I should keep her in a dog crate inside the coop so they don't forget her. I was just worried she would get cold as it is in the mid-low 20s at night and I don't heat my coop.

Any thoughts, suggestions, help would be really appreciated.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hi,
I wasn't sure where to post this since I have questions on why it happened and then the care of the injuries after.

I went out to my coop this afternoon and found 1 hen out of 14 with a bloody head. Nobody else had anything wrong with them. She was missing feathers from her head and as i cleaned her up she had some bad cuts on the side of her head. There was splattered blood on the coop walls as well as the roosts. I was just out there about 3 hours prior and everyone was fine. They live in an enclosed run and coop so no free ranging. This flock of birds has grown up together as I bought them all from Meyers in one order. There haven't been any issues previously. I have one rooster that also came with the initial chicks.

Is this normal? Do I need to worry that they will turn on another hen? Am I doing something wrong?

As far as the injury goes. I cleaned her up with Vetricyn and have her in the house in a soft crate with food and water (with electrolytes). From what I have read, I should not put her back in with the rest of the group until she has healed or they will just pick at her. I also wasn't sure if I should keep her in a dog crate inside the coop so they don't forget her. I was just worried she would get cold as it is in the mid-low 20s at night and I don't heat my coop.

Any thoughts, suggestions, help would be really appreciated.

I am sorry you having problems can you post photos everything you said you have done is very correct to get a the root of the issue what size is your coop and how many birds do you have in the space?

 

[sagehound]

I have 14 hens and 1 rooster. The coop is 12x16 and the run is 12x60. I am uploading some pictures of her now and a video

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be that they are getting bored, or the rooster may be trying to mate her, and she is not cooperating. He may have pulled out some feathers. Once there is a red spot, the others will start pecking as well. What type of feed are you using and what percent protein?

I would crate her inside the coop to heal, so she doesn’t lose her place in the pecking order. Probide her own food and water. Put some plain neosporin ointment on her wound, and later, when you put her back with the flock, use some BluKote every day or two until the feathers are completely grown in which may take 6 weeks.

 

[aart]

How old are these birds?

 

[sagehound]

You don't think she will get too cold since she won't have any of the other chickens next to her during the night if I put her in the coop?

I feed them scratch and peck layer feed and I ferment it. They have been on that feed since they were 18 weeks and they are now 29 weeks. The protein content is 16%. Should I be using the 18% layer now that most of them are laying eggs?

I have ramps and straw and plants in the run as well as big tree branches for roosts.

 

[aram-19]

Hi,
I wasn't sure where to post this since I have questions on why it happened and then the care of the injuries after.

I went out to my coop this afternoon and found 1 hen out of 14 with a bloody head. Nobody else had anything wrong with them. She was missing feathers from her head and as i cleaned her up she had some bad cuts on the side of her head. There was splattered blood on the coop walls as well as the roosts. I was just out there about 3 hours prior and everyone was fine. They live in an enclosed run and coop so no free ranging. This flock of birds has grown up together as I bought them all from Meyers in one order. There haven't been any issues previously. I have one rooster that also came with the initial chicks.

Is this normal? Do I need to worry that they will turn on another hen? Am I doing something wrong?

As far as the injury goes. I cleaned her up with Vetricyn and have her in the house in a soft crate with food and water (with electrolytes). From what I have read, I should not put her back in with the rest of the group until she has healed or they will just pick at her. I also wasn't sure if I should keep her in a dog crate inside the coop so they don't forget her. I was just worried she would get cold as it is in the mid-low 20s at night and I don't heat my coop.

Any thoughts, suggestions, help would be really appreciated.

It’s really good that you are isolating her and giving her food and water, in other words, I think that the other roosters/Hens might be bullying her. I’m not really sure why, they could possibly be fighting. Any other information would be grateful.
Hope the Hen feels better

 

[sagehound]

How old are these birds?

They will be 29 weeks old tomorrow.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would place a blanket or a tarp over most of her crate, to block any drafts, leaving some air openings. 16% is good for that age, but you can increase it to 20% flock raiser with adding some crushed oyster shell in a separate container. Boredom or a bully could be a problem, especially since they are not getting out to roam. I would spend some time observing them together. But I would not remove her from the flock, but only separate her with a crate when you are not around to supervise them.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Must have been a shock to see!

I can vouch for the fact that chickens will go after blood! I cut my finger two days ago while working in the coop. It bled quite a bit, and I got blood on my sleeve and on the tarp that currently keeps out the rain. My BO tried to peck me where I was bleeding. I went inside to clean myself up. When I came out, they were all pecking at the blood on tarp. Yesterday, they were fascinated by the cut on my finger and went after it when I was feeding them.

Vicious little vampires....