Hello New Chicken Owner...

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AndreaSctlnd

AndreaSctlnd

Hatching
8 Years
Feb 21, 2011
6
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Hi! My name is Andrea and I am the proud new owner of 9 Rhode Island Red Hens.

I came here because I am hoping someone can help me with my serious problem. I purchased my chickens at a livestock auction and when I got them home I discovered that my new babies had been horribly abused.

Most of the chickens upper beaks are worn down to almost nothing and a few of them have bottom beaks that are out of control! I own parrots so trimming beaks isn't new to me but I need to know if I can do this to a chicken and also if their top beaks will grow back?

I have a call in to my vet about the one chicken. She has a wound on the back of her head that appears to have been made by another chciken pecking at her. We have purchased the highest quality chicken feed available here in Pennsylvania. I just want them to live a long healthy life now that we got them away from where they were.

They are now urban chickens and I want them to be happy.
 
We purchased all of the chickens in the lot...we got 9 of them.

The auction owner would not disclose the name of the person who sold the chickens. The saddest thing ever was that they were in a burlap bag!!!

We have only noticed the one with the wound on her head. The others seem to be just under nourished and have the beak problem. Their feathers are not the greatest shape but I think that will perk up once they are getting enough to eat.
 
Well seperate the one thats getting abused. I had a hen she got pecked at all the time on the top of her head. She was all bloody and she didnt look good. We seperated her and put her outside with some food and water and the other chickens we kept in the cage. She healed, but ran away. And once your hens get used to your area the pecking willl subside.
 
Now they are in a safe place.
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You did a great job!! Keep us posted on their progress.
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and
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from Ohio. With the proper nutrition their beaks will grow back unless they were severely damage. Chickens are relentless when it comes to pecking on a bird that has blood showing. I use what is called Blue Kote. It is a medication that will color the area blue so it not only heals, it keeps the others from wanting to peck at it. Be careful it does stain your hands. Also, a red light bulb will make everything red in the brooder and that can help. Good luck.
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Often it's best to separate a chicken with a bloody wound, as the others will peck a bloody wound. If they aren't doing this, though, yours may be better off together. Chickens are flock animals, and removing then returning a chicken can cause integration problems. Products like BluKote can prevent their pecking smaller wounds. You can treat the wound much as you would your own, clean it with a mild wound cleaner or just somewhat soapy water or saline, use a little antibiotic ointment or antiseptic. BluKote is antiseptic and often sufficient for this.

One caution. Some topical wound products have "caine" drugs in them, such as lidocaine, cetacaine, benzocaine, etc. You don't want to put these on a chicken as they are extremely sensitive to the drugs and can actually die from them.

And welcome, and kudos for rescuing these birds.
 

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