Help- our injured chook and what to do with her attacker?

[Michelle W]

I’m feeling devastated. We had a pair of year old hens who were a happy pair and well loved by the family. About a week ago one of them died unexpectedly. Everyone was devastated. The other hen left has been acting all moody and moping around the yard, waiting for us to come out for some company. In my haste to finding her a friend we introduced a new chook far too quickly. She is a good sized pullet about 9 weeks old. I snuck her into the coop at night and my husband woke up to check on her 5:30 this morning in case she was getting pecked. What he found was a bloody scene where the new chook had lost a whole lot of skin on her head about 2inch by 1inch, bleeding and our old chook eating away at her.
I’ve cleaned her wound and sprayed her with some antiseptic spray. Is there anything else I can do for her? I saw lots of people using neosporin- it’s not available in Australia, will Bactroban be ok to use? My other dilemma is with the bigger picture- now that the old girl has had a taste for bullying and flesh, is this behaviour going to be permenant? Will she continue to bully this new hen even after she has healed/ grown up a bit/has longer to get used to her? Will she be likely to bully whoever we introduce? I don’t think we can get rid of her over the other hen but can’t see a solution. I’m feeling very guilty and upset. Wish I can rewind the clock and have a do-over.
Any advice is much appreciated.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Unfortunately the myth of putting a chicken in with others at night and it won't be noticed, is one I wish would die. Chickens are well aware of birds that belong and those that don't.

Divide up your coop space, and let them get to know each other through a fence. The one should heal up okay as long as the damage isn't too severe. I use bluekote or nothing, both work.

I would keep them separated until the new one heals, than you can start supervised mingling for a while. It may take a while and I wouldn't leave them together until you see no more aggression. It could take until the new one is mature.

Your existing hen was following her instincts to attack strange chickens and to protect her territory, so it is all normal behavior.

She hopefully will accept the new one eventually. She probably won't have a bond with it like she had with the other. She misses her friend, another chicken isn't the same.

 

[Michelle W]

Thanks, we all miss her too. I wish I knew the night time thing was a myth!
There are so many different websites with different info- somewhere I’m reading says they need stitches. Is that true? Is it beneficial to have stitches vs leaving to heal as it is?

 

[micstrachan]

Posting aphoto of the wound might help get that question answered. I think keeping it clean, and possibly moist, might be more important. How is she doing?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Spray the wound with Blue Kote.

 

[Michelle W]

We don’t have blue kote. I went to the farm shop and they gave me something called chloromide, which is this pink antiseptic stuff. In the end we tried to pull the wound together a bit with a few stitches and prob halved the wound size. She’s been eating and drinking today, and we have kept her inside. She seems like she’s going well at the moment.