Chicken with large head wound on back of head, how to wrap?

[ChicNmom]

Thank you! She will be an indoor chicken until it heals, I’m actually bringing her with me to work in her crate today so I can monitor her through out the day. She will stay in the car though, because I doubt my boss would be excited about an office chicken! Thank you for your quick reply it’s very much appreciated!

This could be the start of Bring Your Chicken To Work day!!!

 

[Ltilden]

The 8x12 *should* be enough space, a dog crate as a coop for all of them would be pretty tight.
If they are in a garage, is that secure? If they are all trying to go in the "coop" at night, this may be where some squabbling/tension lies.

The back of the head wound is *usually* what I've seen from a cockerel/rooster, but it could be caused by picking as well (a small cut/injury gets noticed and everyone jumps on it).

Whether the injury was intentional or if it just happened it would be hard to know. With mine, it was absolutely intentional as evidenced on video (I have coop/run cameras). That rooster was culled -he got more than 1 chance too, but that's another story). Anyway, just observe interaction. Chicken skin can be somewhat thin and rips easy so this may have started as something minor and progressed to picking

Yeah our garage is secure, we keep the garage doors closed 99% of the time - they are only open when we are outside. The run in there is not covered so the two EE bantams have taken to roosting in the rafters of the garage at night and the three silkie/cochins roost on top of the dog crate, not in it. They basically only use the actual "coop" to lay their eggs. When the three other chickens moved in they started sleeping in the coop at night, but its just the three of them, the other 5 still go to their original sleeping spots.

I used to have a camera set up in there, but I took it out last year, which now I regret because I wish I could know what actually happened. I'm going to try setting one up in there again this weekend. I haven't separated the others yet because they truly seem to be getting along well, but I am nervous something could happen again. My rooster in this flock isn't typically aggressive with the hens, but he has gotten into a scuffle or two with his brother before I moved them to separate coops.

I'm keeping Penny, the wounded chicken, inside with me for at least a few more days so I can monitor her progress closely and then next week I will try putting her in the run, in her own separate crate, so they can get reacquainted with her slowly and safely.

Thanks again for the advice!

 

[Ltilden]

This could be the start of Bring Your Chicken To Work day!!!

I so wish that could be a real thing!

 

[Ltilden]

Just wanted to give everyone an update since you were so kind to give me advice! Penny is doing so well and her wound is healing nicely. She’s really adapted quite well to being a house chicken, she loves roaming around and checking out any mirrors she can find to talk to herself in A really interesting update is that she has started to crow! I wasn’t sure if that’s what it was at first, but she is doing it more frequently the last few mornings and it is becoming very defined. I’ve seen her lay an egg many times this past week so I know she’s a hen, but I guess she’s just becoming more dominant now that she’s on her own?! I wish I could attach a video here to show off her new vocal chops but it looks like I can only do a photo, here’s a picture of her enjoying the local newspaper and a nice sunny spot in my car, on a lunch break at work. Thanks again for your help, I appreciated it so much!!

 

[Chiarabrook]

That's awesome!!! I'm glad she's doing well.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Just wanted to give everyone an update since you were so kind to give me advice! Penny is doing so well and her wound is healing nicely. She’s really adapted quite well to being a house chicken, she loves roaming around and checking out any mirrors she can find to talk to herself in A really interesting update is that she has started to crow! I wasn’t sure if that’s what it was at first, but she is doing it more frequently the last few mornings and it is becoming very defined. I’ve seen her lay an egg many times this past week so I know she’s a hen, but I guess she’s just becoming more dominant now that she’s on her own?! I wish I could attach a video here to show off her new vocal chops but it looks like I can only do a photo, here’s a picture of her enjoying the local newspaper and a nice sunny spot in my car, on a lunch break at work. Thanks again for your help, I appreciated it so much!!

Glad that she's doing well!

The BYC upload for video does not work. For video, upload to a platform like YouTube, then provide us a link.

 

[ChicNmom]

Just wanted to give everyone an update since you were so kind to give me advice! Penny is doing so well and her wound is healing nicely. She’s really adapted quite well to being a house chicken, she loves roaming around and checking out any mirrors she can find to talk to herself in A really interesting update is that she has started to crow! I wasn’t sure if that’s what it was at first, but she is doing it more frequently the last few mornings and it is becoming very defined. I’ve seen her lay an egg many times this past week so I know she’s a hen, but I guess she’s just becoming more dominant now that she’s on her own?! I wish I could attach a video here to show off her new vocal chops but it looks like I can only do a photo, here’s a picture of her enjoying the local newspaper and a nice sunny spot in my car, on a lunch break at work. Thanks again for your help, I appreciated it so much!!

I had one that started to crow after having to be separated for a while. She stopped once she was back with the group and the rooster. Someone has to announce the start of the day. She only did it first thing in the morning.

 

[Tiersha]

The 8x12 *should* be enough space, a dog crate as a coop for all of them would be pretty tight.
If they are in a garage, is that secure? If they are all trying to go in the "coop" at night, this may be where some squabbling/tension lies.

The back of the head wound is *usually* what I've seen from a cockerel/rooster, but it could be caused by picking as well (a small cut/injury gets noticed and everyone jumps on it).

Whether the injury was intentional or if it just happened it would be hard to know. With mine, it was absolutely intentional as evidenced on video (I have coop/run cameras). That rooster was culled -he got more than 1 chance too, but that's another story). Anyway, just observe interaction. Chicken skin can be somewhat thin and rips easy so this may have started as something minor and progressed to picking.

My hen has a hole like this from the roo. She healed up and was back with everyone. No one bothered her but the roo. The roo is not like this with any other hen but her. The roos is gentle with all others.

The only thing I have is that she used to bully him when he was younger and now payback is happening.

He is on the potential list to be culled because if everything she is healed and goes back and he does this to her, he will kill her is my fear.

 

[Eggcessive]

My hen has a hole like this from the roo. She healed up and was back with everyone. No one bothered her but the roo. The roo is not like this with any other hen but her. The roos is gentle with all others.

The only thing I have is that she used to bully him when he was younger and now payback is happening.

He is on the potential list to be culled because if everything she is healed and goes back and he does this to her, he will kill her is my fear.

I had a young cockerel who scalped my polish hen and left her in a ditch. She didn’t let any rooster mate her, and most respected that, but this guy lost his life that day because he injured a hen. He was my pick of the new cockerels to keep, but the other one was better behaved. It sometimes comes down to your choice of rehoming the hen or the rooster. Sometimes separation of the rooster for awhile to calm down a bit may help. Ideally, one rooster is enough, but more than one are okay if you have enough hens, and they are well behaved. Any rooster or hen for that matter who injures a hen will get gone fast.

 

[Tiersha]

I had a young cockerel who scalped my polish hen and left her in a ditch. She didn’t let any rooster mate her, and most respected that, but this guy lost his life that day because he injured a hen. He was my pick of the new cockerels to keep, but the other one was better behaved. It sometimes comes down to your choice of rehoming the hen or the rooster. Sometimes separation of the rooster for awhile to calm down a bit may help. Ideally, one rooster is enough, but more than one are okay if you have enough hens, and they are well behaved. Any rooster or hen for that matter who injures a hen will get gone fast.

Each morning he gets separated for the day. At night she is removed. This allows for all hens to have their egg ability etc. I do have 2 roos to 19 hens. The 1st day of separation I also kept him out of the locked coop at night and man I thought he was going to kill himself trying to get it.

He's so gentle with everything else...just not the one hen.

Watching closely but I fear a culling is on order.