Chicken keeps pecking other chickens and they are getting hurt

[riversanctuary]

She is happy as a clam in the rabbit hutch inside my garage. After the 4 have gone to their roost she is anxious to get into the garage. I open the door and she lets me pick her up to put her in her cozy cage. She settles in right away! I also have found out after letting them free range with me watching that she is the one who starts the fights. She goes after Annie who is the lowest in the pecking order, viciously, and the other 4 come to her rescue like a rooster would do if the hens fight. I'm pretty sure she started the whole battle because each time she is with the others she is warned by them except Annie who is so afraid of her. Don't know why Lacy decided to go after Annie, she always did peck her, but never this bad. I'm sure the rest of them ganged up on Lacy after she went for Annie pecking her pretty bad. I am looking for something I can put in her at night so she can go to bed In her coop, but for now she is happy as can be that I come and put her in her own sleeping cage. I don't think I want to do this from now on, but it's working so I guess I will keep it up unless she changes her behavior towards Annie.

 

[spencer0713]

i too have the same problem with my chicken named nugget,the big boss hen called grandma and she pecked her comb and made her bloody shes with me right now and she really sleepy and in shock should I dispose of grandma or keep her away from the other chickens

 

[MyPetNugget]

I've got a chicken named Nugget too! I think that you should keep her separated in a crate or something, but still in the same coop until she will act a little nicer. Keeping them in the same coop will reduce fighting when she is intergrated back again.

 

[cherylm416]

I don't know how to start a thread but really need help and this fit. One of my chicks, about 12 weeks was seriously injured getting out of the coop. She had an exposed bone at the base of her right wing. After a couple of weeks inside the brooder again with a lot of TLC, vitamin/electrolyte water and on other days apple cidar vin. In water, she was jumping around, back to her old self. I put her in the yard with the others and after a few minutes they seemed fine. That night she spent in the coop again. In the morning she was fine but the others seemed to be paying too much attention to her. I returned an hour later with more food/supplies to find her squished in a corner, bloody and in bad shape. Her entire right wing is exposed to the bone. Feathers were also pecked off of her body near the injury. She is amazingly, still alive. I once again put her back inside the house to heal. But fear she may not. She is drinking the vitamin/electrolyte water again. Which I hope is a good sign. She is moving a bit as well but otherwise lethargic. I don't know how this can possibly grow back skin let alone anything else. I have a picture from yesterday (day of attack) and today 24 hours later and the difference is noticeable but don't want to give myself false hope. I am cleaning the area with a betadyne and water solution. Applying a liberal amount of triple antibiotic ointment and currently have it wrapped so she doesn't peck at it and to keep her warm. Any advice is much appreciated.
Thank you
Cheryl

 

[Eggcessive]

I don't know how to start a thread but really need help and this fit. One of my chicks, about 12 weeks was seriously injured getting out of the coop. She had an exposed bone at the base of her right wing. After a couple of weeks inside the brooder again with a lot of TLC, vitamin/electrolyte water and on other days apple cidar vin. In water, she was jumping around, back to her old self. I put her in the yard with the others and after a few minutes they seemed fine. That night she spent in the coop again. In the morning she was fine but the others seemed to be paying too much attention to her. I returned an hour later with more food/supplies to find her squished in a corner, bloody and in bad shape. Her entire right wing is exposed to the bone. Feathers were also pecked off of her body near the injury. She is amazingly, still alive. I once again put her back inside the house to heal. But fear she may not. She is drinking the vitamin/electrolyte water again. Which I hope is a good sign. She is moving a bit as well but otherwise lethargic. I don't know how this can possibly grow back skin let alone anything else. I have a picture from yesterday (day of attack) and today 24 hours later and the difference is noticeable but don't want to give myself false hope. I am cleaning the area with a betadyne and water solution. Applying a liberal amount of triple antibiotic ointment and currently have it wrapped so she doesn't peck at it and to keep her warm. Any advice is much appreciated.
Thank you
Cheryl

I don't see your pictures. Sorry about your chick. A single chick being re-introduced back into a flock kind of has a target on it's back unfortunately. Continue daily with the antibiotic ointment, but as long as you don't see infection , start using saline to clean the wounds. Betadine isn't good to use continuously unless there is infection, as it may prevent healing. Once she heals a little, she maybe able to use a little T-shirt to cover her bare spots. Watch for infection, and treat with antibiotics such as procaine penicillin G unless a vet can give you something better. If you see green in the skin sometimes it is bruising. Some really bad wounds can fill in and granulate to cover up like new and grow new feather. Feed her some higher protein snacks such as eggs or low sodium tuna, as well as her grower feed. A probiotic such as a small amount of buttermilk or plain yogurt will help keep her gut bacteria healthy.

 

[cherylm416]

Thank you so much. I will do as you suggest. I didn't post the pics initially because I didn't want to upset anyone. But if it is ok, I will now so you have something to go on.

Thanks again for your help,
Cheryl

 

[cherylm416]

The top pic is from yesterday, the bottom two from today. The white square was just part of the bandage i removed.

 

[Eggcessive]

Many of the the more expert people on here usually advise to get veterinary help for open fractures of the wings, and some threads I have read advise to trim away any bone that is sticking out. I would probably start antiobiotics.

 

[riversanctuary]

I can't remember which Thread I found, but I wrote down the info. Peppers don't work for most chickens, stop them from pecking, but a product called Bumpa-Bits does. You can't get them here, but Joe found a way ordered 500 and he is charging a reasonable amount for those who are having a problem with a feather picker or aggression. A great solution for those who love their chickens and don't want to get rid of the culprit! Here is his number Joe 303-663-7115. When I have time, getting ready to leave house, I will post the Thread. It's something like For Those Who Free Range chicken stories.

Kat

 

[riversanctuary]

I think the Thread title is Keeping Chickens Free range.
Kat