Comb bloody & dangling this morning - a Hen Fight?

[CrazyTownChick]

Warning: bloody pics
My husband went out to collect eggs this morning and in one nesting box there were two girls very quietly sitting. I think there were two eggs under them.
one of the chickens’ combs was dangling by just a small thread and all bloody hanging off her face. Isa Brown, a sweetie Usually. there was blood all over around her face and ears. We’re assuming there was a fight or one of the other hens peckd her comb off. We don’t know what happened.
The other hen had blood on her but it could be just because she had squeezed into the nest box with the bloody hen. Or it could be that she was the one that pecked the other’s comb off - we don’t know.
The one that was in the nest box with her is I think one of the top hands and is sometimes aggressive with the others but we can’t blame her because we don’t know if she did it.
We pulled the injured hen out of the nest box and as carefully as we could dabbed it with water and a paper towel to remove the dried blood and it was dried already and then we carefully sniffed the rest of the comb off there was only about an eighth of an inch of comb left and it was dangling in her face So we cleaned her up as best we could which wasn’t very good and I sprayed some of a vetrycin spray on a paper towel and tried to dab it on there.
I called the vet and he said we were doing the right thing by cleaning it. He said it might be a good idea to isolate her in a broodie pen or cage so the others wouldn’t pick on her bloody area. And he said to put Neosporin on it once or twice a day to help keep it from becoming infected. We did all that and she is in the little broody pan with food and water and needless to say she’s not happy, she wants to be out with the other girls. Will try to keep her in there for about a week if we can. Don’t want bullying.
Here are some bloody pics. Any thoughts?
The flock has been together for 2 years since chicks . They’re 2 years end of this month. I suspect the white leghorn CA gray May be the aggressor but can’t be sure. Could have been an accident but we see no evidence and no sign of predator entry. Leghorn seems to be at top of pecking order at times. Should I isolate her just in case?

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

You did the right thing. It very well could have been one aggresive peck, then blood appeared. Then bully hen saw blood and continues to peck until it got to this point.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Thanks for the reply. The comb was pecked clean off - bloody. Poor girl, she was so confused when we found her. We’re going to give her Gatorade as others have suggested. Gave her some nutradrench in her water.
Not sure the leghorn is the aggressive one but May put her in a Brody pen/ isolation for a few days to cool her Jets.

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

Thanks for the reply. The comb was pecked clean off - bloody. Poor girl, she was so confused when we found her. We’re going to give her Gatorade as others have suggested. Gave her some nutradrench in her water.
Not sure the leghorn is the aggressive one but May put her in a Brody pen/ isolation for a few days to cool her Jets.

I hate that for her. Chickens will peck at anything unusual or out of the ordinary. So hey! Theres some blood! Thats not usually there, lets peck it! Then it escalates. Thats good, I always give my sick chooks Nutri Drench. You can also make her a mash. Take her normal feed, or maybe chick feed for more nutrients. Make a water mixture of all good things. Nutri Drench, a little sugar or Gatorade, and I add Save a Chick or Hydro Hen. You could also add corn, or some other juice for flavor. Maybe like the water/juice that is in the can of corn when you open it. To encourage her to eat. Though if she is eating regularly, no reason for flavor. Then put the water mixture with your food. Main thing is make sure the injury doesn't get dirty and infected.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is her beak cracked too?
She may need some wet mash to eat if she has difficulty picking up her normal feed.

For a comb to be ripped so cleanly like that, I would suspect she got it caught on something, maybe in wire. Hard to know. Doesn't look like pecking damage to me.
As for the others to have blood on them, that's not unusual. Combs bleed like crazy and a chicken will shake their head when the feel it running, this splatters everything. Chickens see blood, they will peck at it.

Looks like she's doing ok. If she's eating/drinking good, just keep the vetericyn on there and flies off her comb. I'd keep her near her flock so re-integration is not quite as dramatic as isolation away from the flock.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Is her beak cracked too?
She may need some wet mash to eat if she has difficulty picking up her normal feed.

For a comb to be ripped so cleanly like that, I would suspect she got it caught on something, maybe in wire. Hard to know. Doesn't look like pecking damage to me.
As for the others to have blood on them, that's not unusual. Combs bleed like crazy and a chicken will shake their head when the feel it running, this splatters everything. Chickens see blood, they will peck at it.

Looks like she's doing ok. If she's eating/drinking good, just keep the vetericyn on there and flies off her comb. I'd keep her near her flock so re-integration is not quite as dramatic as isolation away from the flock.

Thanks! She is eating & drinking. The blood is almost dried so maybe I’ll reintegrate her tonight in the coop. Yes, making sure it stays as clean as possible, which is not very clean. No flies yet. Will do the vetrycn and Neosporin again this evening.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Thanks! She is eating & drinking. The blood is almost dried so maybe I’ll reintegrate her tonight in the coop. Yes, making sure it stays as clean as possible, which is not very clean. No flies yet. Will do the vetrycn and Neosporin again this evening.

No beak crack I didn’t not believe. It’s 90+ degrees here today so all their beaks are open.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Is her beak cracked too?
She may need some wet mash to eat if she has difficulty picking up her normal feed.

For a comb to be ripped so cleanly like that, I would suspect she got it caught on something, maybe in wire. Hard to know. Doesn't look like pecking damage to me.
As for the others to have blood on them, that's not unusual. Combs bleed like crazy and a chicken will shake their head when the feel it running, this splatters everything. Chickens see blood, they will peck at it.

Looks like she's doing ok. If she's eating/drinking good, just keep the vetericyn on there and flies off her comb. I'd keep her near her flock so re-integration is not quite as dramatic as isolation away from the flock.

And thanks for the information about the comb not looking like it was pecked . I wondered about that too. it looks like a clean rip off I can’t imagine how that happened I don’t see anything in our coop run or other area that could have done that to her

 

[CrazyTownChick]

No beak crack I didn’t not believe. It’s 90+ degrees here today so all their beaks are open.

Is her beak cracked too?
She may need some wet mash to eat if she has difficulty picking up her normal feed.

For a comb to be ripped so cleanly like that, I would suspect she got it caught on something, maybe in wire. Hard to know. Doesn't look like pecking damage to me.
As for the others to have blood on them, that's not unusual. Combs bleed like crazy and a chicken will shake their head when the feel it running, this splatters everything. Chickens see blood, they will peck at it.

Looks like she's doing ok. If she's eating/drinking good, just keep the vetericyn on there and flies off her comb. I'd keep her near her flock so re-integration is not quite as dramatic as isolation away from the flock.

If I let her hang out with the other girls in the coop tonight do you think any of them would pack at the dried blood on top of her head where the comb used to be I’m just concerned that they might. I got a new phone and it’s changing all my words to other words so I hope I’m making sense

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

If I let her hang out with the other girls in the coop tonight do you think any of them would pack at the dried blood on top of her head where the comb used to be I’m just concerned that they might. I got a new phone and it’s changing all my words to other words so I hope I’m making sense

They might. It wouldn't surprise me. Chickens will pick at other chickens for little things.