injured/bloody head, probably henpecking?

[HeartsDelight]

Trouble in Paradise, I think. Looks like one of my Serama co-broodies turned on the other while I was out today.

Ivy's head is pretty banged up all of a sudden, and Holly is being fairly possessive of all 6 of their chicks.

But by the time I got home, they were both sitting together on the nest again like nothing ever happened, and I haven't observed any aggression between them on the half hour I've been watching.

I cleaned off her head with some qtips and warm water, and it all looks like superficial injuries.

I opened the door between the coop and the run beneath it, and Ivy has mostly been hanging out down there leaving Holly up top with with chicks. But she is scratching and tidbitting and calls the chicks to her when she does hop back up top.

Should I put vaseline or neosporin on her head, or just keep it clean? Anything else I should watch for?

I do have a small QT cage to pull Ivy to if the aggression continues, but she seems to want to be actively involved with the chicks so I'm hesitant to do that right now. Is that the right call, or is this likely to escalate?

Should I split the chicks and let them do upstairs/downstairs, block the opening off, or let them keep going between?

 

[Wezdin]

I would put blu kote on it if pecking might be a problem.
also, what do you mean by co-broodies? they both sat on the eggs? If so it would make sense that the one thinks of the chicks as hers and is "protecting" them from the other.

 

[imnukensc]

Blu Kote has never worked for me to stop chickens pecking another.

 

[HeartsDelight]

I would put blu kote on it if pecking might be a problem.
also, what do you mean by co-broodies? they both sat on the eggs? If so it would make sense that the one thinks of the chicks as hers and is "protecting" them from the other.

They both sat the eggs together, each hatched 3 chicks, and they have been co-parenting all 6 together for until today, which is day 5 post hatch.

This was yesterday--all the chicks have liked cuddling in between the two.

 

[HeartsDelight]

These are my only two hens, btw, and they have been heavily bonded to each other until now. They went into brood together, always touching, stealing eggs back and forth, hatched together, and the first 4 days were amazing co-parents

 

[HeartsDelight]

And they're back co-nesting and co-tending again now just like they always have been.

I'm hoping it was just a momentary squabble