Hens comb bleeding for hours!!!

[ChickyHawk]

My Barred Rock hen is 22 weeks. I have a small backyard flock of 8 hens. This hen came out of the coop this morning fine as far as I could tell. A few hour later I came out back and noticed her comb and beak dripping with blood. That was at about noon today. Now 2 hours later it still bleeds. Looks shinny and leaves little droplets on the floor. I didn't hear any fights and she's also up there on the order, so I don't think it was that. There is a squirrel the comes to snoop around the yard - I have seem her rum him up the tree a few times. Are they known to attack chickens? I have a rosebush that she may have snagged the comb on as well. Its hard to tell where the blood is coming from. She is the one who least cooperates with handling. But, she is walking around just time, looking for food, dust bathing. Doesn't seem bothered much. But, I do so her scratching at her head. Could she have scratched herself and caused the bleeding?

One more thing... In the picture, on her comb, there are these dark spots. Is this just dry blood? I never noticed these before on her. On another hen there are a few small tiny black flecks towards the back of her comb. I tried brushing the off, but they stayed on there. Looks almost like dried poo maybe.
My worst fear is that they have some sort of flesh/comb eating fungus that itches and causes bleeding, raw sores, etc.. and I loose my entire flock. I know..I worry too much. But is that a real thing?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Those look like pecking wounds.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Looks like she got into it with possibly the alpha hen. I’ve had pullets and hens fight and draw blood but it always clotted within minutes after fighting.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Isolate her and clean her up, spray with vectrin... They will just keep pecking the blood!

 

[danceswithronin]

Definitely need to put some Blu-kote or Pick-No-More lotion on her comb to prevent the other girls from continuing to go at it.

I'd probably put a layer of Vaseline on as well, as it should help stop the bleeding.

 

[Eggcessive]

Check her eyes well for any pecking, pus, or eye drainage. The left eye looks a little droopy in the picture. Apply some corn starch or flour to the wounds on her comb. Consider putting her in a dog crate with food and water overnight to let her comb dry out. The bright red fresh blood will attract more pecking.

Try to determine why they were attacking her. Spend some time with them tomorrow when you let her out of the crate. Overcrowding, being sick, or aggressive chickens may be a problem. Do you have a rooster?

 

[ChickyHawk]

We do not have a rooster. And I am in and out of my backyard most of the day. I watch them a lot. Probably too much :/ I have never seen another hen peck at her. If anything, she would be the one to do the pecking. Right now she is sitting with a group of three - they are all scratching and grooming themselves.
The bleeding seems to have stopped for now. It did earlier too, then started up again.
Our coop is 4X6 and there are 8 hens in there. They only sleep in there. I let them out when I feed them around 7AM. They have the whole yard during the day. They go back in the coop to lay, or scratch for food throughout the day, then go in on their own at night.

 

[ChickyHawk]

Looks like she got into it with possibly the alpha hen. I’ve had pullets and hens fight and draw blood but it always clotted within minutes after fighting.

haha...I thought she was the alpha
3 of them are younger - 10 weeks old. She chases them to no end. Nobody ever pecks at her. But maybe she stole someones worm one too many times. lol

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Times when I have seen more pecking is at roost time and when a hen is in a nest another one wants in. So what do your roosts and nestboxes look like? Do you have multiple boxes?

 

[ChickyHawk]

Times when I have seen more pecking is at roost time and when a hen is in a nest another one wants in. So what do your roosts and nestboxes look like? Do you have multiple boxes?

There are two nest boxes. 5 hens are 22 weeks and 3 are 10 weeks. Of those 5, 3 of them are laying in the one box, and 1 lays in the other. The one with the bloody comb still hasn't laid her fist egg yet.

The roost has plenty of space, but they all compete for a choice spot against the walls. I used to have a simple 2x2 straight across, but that made the nesting box slightly higher and they desired to sleep in there. So I put in a couple of tree branches and they love those. It could have maybe happened then.