Chicken's Vent Ripped Apart, Don't know what to do, (Graphic)

[RidgeCreekFarm]

@Ms Clucky
Thanks!

I'm rotating between , , , and !

 

[DobieLover]

You have 12 birds in this red coop?
Is that right?

I am thinking part of the problem might be there don't have enough room.

x2. This in combination with the inadvertent switch to a too low protein diet seem to be the triggers.

Is there any way that the flock can be released from that run for at least a portion of the day?

You may also want to consider using a good gob of pine tar on those back wounds instead of the homemade saddle. The pine tar will keep the others from picking at the wound and will help it heal.

Good luck with everything.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

@Wyorp Rock Thank you for the condolences! Yesterday and last night were rough.
I would try to separate her if I knew which of the 3 Wyandottes it was. I can usually tell them apart by their combs, but both times I was rather panicked and didn't notice. I just know that both times I found a wound, a Wyandotte was picking at it. If I did ID one as a potential culprit, would she freeze all by herself in the run at night (Our night temps are forcasted to be around freezing till April)? Or should I just cage her during the day, and pop her in with the rest in the late evening?
View attachment 1709301

Our coop and run are less then the recommended 4ft/ and 10ft per bird. They are right around 3ft/ and 9ft respectively. Our setup was meant to be a temporary transition phase from the brooder until the large coop (the platform to the right) was built, and the run extended underneath it. Unfortunately a blown transmission on my Dad's work vehicle toasted the coop-building budget and then winter set in. They did fine all winter though, and have had more space the last week, because we removed the straw bales that had been stacked in the run around the coop for insulation.

Currently, the whole run is covered in hardware cloth, with 18" of skirting covered in pavers surrounding it. My brother has been over the perimeter multiple times and hasn't found an "in" yet. We are thinking about scraping out the deep winter litter in the run, just to make sure we aren't missing anything.

I found a 1.5"-2" bare and oozing spot on the back of another Sussex today, so I immediately sprayed the area with Vetericyn and put the saddle I had made for the other chicken on her. The skin doesn't look broken, just a little raw. I'll be able to get a better look (and pics) later with some help. Everyone else seems fine and the Original Sussex's wound was looking less irritated around the edges today!

If you have found another one with a bare oozing spot and don't think a predator can get in, then remove all 3 Wyandottes to see if the damage stops.
Don't know what you will do with them, but I would separate them out completely for several days.
I agree, space is a bit tight for the birds, hopefully with separation and getting them back onto their normal feed you will see some peace.

 

[RidgeCreekFarm]

@Texas Kiki
We now have 11 in there. The coop is roughly 8'x4'x2.5' and is on stilts and wheels about 3.5' off the ground. Because our run is roofed and accessible every day, all day from dawn to dusk, the only time more than a few chickens are in there at the same time is when they roost, and then they voluntarily all huddle in about 3'x4' of space- closer to the back if it's cold, closer to the front if it's warm.

The only way we can think of to expand space for them right now, is to skirt the future coop's platform with hardware cloth and pavers and let them, under that. That could only be possible next week at the very earliest.

Do you think we should spray for bugs as a precautionary measure?

 

[RidgeCreekFarm]

@DobieLover
Thanks!

I wish we could let them out, but the yard is also accessible to our 3 dogs, as well as a creek line where we've seen predator signs before, so it would have to be a very short, observed, stint right before roosting time.

Where do you get Pine Pitch?

 

[DobieLover]

@DobieLover
Thanks!

I wish we could let them out, but the yard is also accessible to our 3 dogs, as well as a creek line where we've seen predator signs before, so it would have to be a very short, observed, stint right before roosting time.

Where do you get Pine Pitch?

You can pick up pine tar at TSC:

 

[RidgeCreekFarm]

@Wyorp Rock
I have a cage I could use for 1 chicken, but if I stuffed 3 healthy, perky, chickens in there, I think it would be a blood bath in short order.

Spent a while just watching everybody today, and haven't seen any picking; even after I gave them a small plug of new grass and the newly injured Sussex got the root ball and started running.

If I can narrow it down to 1, that will work, but I really can't think of a way to pull out 3 and house them.

I've heard "Pinless Peepers" mentioned before, should I maybe just rig up the flock with those? Though, I wouldn't get it till next week if they have to be ordered online.
Or would those just create a whole new world of problems?

 

[RidgeCreekFarm]

@DobieLover
Thanks! Is it only an irritant to humans?

 

[DobieLover]

@DobieLover
Thanks! Is it only an irritant to humans?

It is used routinely for the purposes I stated with excellent results on chickens. It will be very beneficial to her.

 

[RidgeCreekFarm]

@DobieLover
Neat!