HELP!!!! My hen is bleeding from hen pecking

[Waz]

My hens seem to delight in pecking each other at them moment until now one is bleeding and being picked on alot.

How do i stop this pecking business quickly and what shall i do with the bleeding one.

PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU

 

[21hens-incharge]

Separate the bleeding hen right away.
How bad is she injured?

Can you post a picture of the injury so advice on treatment can be given?

How big is their space?
What percentage protein is the feed you are using?
What treats and in what quantity do you give?

 

[Waz]

OK. Just bleeding from behind her right wing. Have looked properly....
They have a decent sized run. and let out once a week
Will look at protein
I give 5 handfuls of meal worms every other day

 

[21hens-incharge]

Perhaps cleaning it up with a saline wash and apply something like this.....

https://vetericyn.com/product/vetericyn-plus-poultry-care/?attribute_size=8oz


She may have had a small injury that the others targeted because of the blood.

I am not sure what is available in your area.

Watch for fly strikes too. Keep the wound clean.

 

[Sea Wolf]

Let it be. The feathers around it will clot, harden and protect the wound. Go to the farm store and find a can of Blu Cote. Might be where the horse stuff is. Spray this on the bird over the wound area. It helps to heal and also colors the red and hides it so the other birds don't pick at it. Still, you may need to keep her apart for a while.

You may not have the Blu Cote in the UK but ask at a livestock supply place for what they have that is similar.

 

[Waz]

I have sprayed on some colodial silver infection response spray and moved her separate.
But i still have the rest of them pecking, some of them quite bald. How do i stop them pecking each other totally.

 

[Waz]

 

[21hens-incharge]

It could be a dietary issue.

What is the protein content of the feed you are using?

Can you try supplementing twice a week with canned mackerel?

Do your hens have oyster shell available?

 

[Sea Wolf]

How large an area are the birds confined in? Birds in too small a space will be stressed and pick at each other. They may also be bored if they can't get out and roam around. Take some fresh veggies and tie them together with string. Hang them so they are head height and a little above so they have to jump a bit to get at the bunches. Your girl will be fine as long as they don't keep opening the wound. You will need to keep her apart if you can't cover it with the blue stuff to hide it from the other birds. The Blu Cote hides the red of the wound so the other birds are not attracted to it. If you can find this, you can also spray the bare areas of your other birds and they will stop pecking each other in those areas because they will no longer be red.

 

[SEaton611]

I have a chicken who was pecked SO badly, and I rehabbed her in isolation (put her in a dog crate that belongs to my pittie) and tended to her wound. At first, I flushed any broken skin with Betadine (the spray is super handy) and then cleaned it numerous times a day with either neosporin (make sure it doesn't have the painkiller in it) or Vetricyn spray.

Your chicken doesn't look too awful, but I would separate her from the others until she recovers. Chickens sense weakness and injury and will just keep picking on her otherwise.

Once she's good to go, slowly reintegrate her to the flock. At first, supervise their interactions to be sure they don't go back to their old ways. If her wound looks reddish or in anyway like an injury, used Bluekote or Pick No More to deter the others.

Do you let your chickens free range or are they in an enclosure all day. They could be behaving like this due to confinement or boredom.