Injured chicken

[15WildTurkey]

My flock are bullying one of my hens. I have 16 chickens. Including one rooster.
Yesterday they beat her up Pretty badly. I’m thinking she might be loosing her left eye. Can I put Antibiotics in her water? She’s inside at the moment. I have tylan 200 and also biomycin or duramycin. I have vetericyn and bluKote.
Thanks guys. She’s eating and drinking but not very active obviously.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would clean the eye by cleaning with saline eye wash, and apply either Terramycin eye ointment from the feed store, or plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment twice daily. The Neosporin can also be applied to any wounds or you could use the Vetericyn on those wounds which would be less greasy. I probably would not use a systemic antibiotic at this time. Keep her in a dog crate close to the other chickens to remain a part of the flock, and secure food and water inside. She may not take enough food and water with her bad eyesight, so twice a day, I would offer a small bowl of wet chicken feed up to her beak. Look for signs of illness that might be causing them to pick on her.

 

[15WildTurkey]

Thank you. I’m frustrated by the picking on her. Besides that she’s seemingly healthy. They are in a pen that’s 27x27. Which includes their coop that’s 8x8. They usually have access to a larger pen that’s 72 x72. We’ve had a fox issue recently so they’ve been in lock down in the 27x27. I thought it was the smaller quarters but now even while they are out free ranging they seek her out. The rooster will mount her and also attack and then the rest of the girls attack too. They were doing the same to another hen and I rehomed her but clearly they just move to the next lowest bird.

 

[Eggcessive]

That should not be happening, but overcrowding might be the problem. Too little protein, boredom, overcrowding, and too much light inside the coop can be possible causes of pecking. She also could be showing signs of illness that they sense. The rooster might need some spearation, and you might observe the behavior, and select any bullies to separate as well. I refuse to keep agressive chickens. Certain breeds can be more agressive.

 

[15WildTurkey]

Ok. The coop isn’t lit. But gets lots of natural light. They are on a 20% protein feed. I agree with you on aggressive birds. I can evict the rooster and who I think is the other instigator. They can be in the outer larger pen. I’m so sad about it. I really didn’t think they were overcrowded. I planned it all you know. But then I suppose we think we have all the answers. For 3 years we never saw a fox and my previous flock free ranged from morning til night. The occasional hawk interaction but I’m willing to accept that. And now due to this fox (which I know is a valuable part of the ecosystem) our little poultry party in the woods is thrown into turmoil.
I’ll work on some boredom busters for the flock.

 

[15WildTurkey]

Help me to understand separating the aggressors. It’s kind of to reset the pecking order a bit right? I have cleaned and put ointment on Coffee Bean and she’s outside in the greater pen area. They all get to range out there for a while almost every day. I can create a small 3x6 pen and place the rooster and the one other hen that I think is aggressive in it. I don’t have the wherewithal to separate flock and aggressive 2 and injured chicken. While they are all out free should I isolate the jerks and take Coffee Bean back inside? Sorry if that’s insanely confusing. But my brain is a pretzel. Attached is a pic of cleaned injuries and also the yard to make it easier to understand or more confusion