Injured chicken...

[dgilm]

When I went down to feed my chickens this morning, I found that one had spent the night alone in the pen, rather than going inside the coop with the others. She was acting oddly, almost like OCD-type preening. I didn't see any bloody spots, so I figured she'd be okay when the others came out. I mentioned it to my husband and he went to check on her this afternoon. He found her still doing this crazy pecking/preening of herself, only now she's managed to bloody herself, and of course her buddies can't help but take a peck or two, when they see that bloody spot. So, I brought her up and penned her in the garage, in my brooding pen. (4'x8' plywood box). I sprayed her down with blu-kote, then applied udder balm over top that, and put a denim "chicken apron" on her, so she couldn't get to the sore spot and keep pecking at it. When I was treating her, I was on the lookout for lice or mites, but didn't see anything. So, she'll be spending the next couple of days in the garage. I'm hoping under the apron, she'll heal quickly enough that I can put her back into the flock, maybe by the weekend. I'll leave the apron on her, and in fact, I'm thinking about making a few other aprons for my "lowest pecking order" birds, to protect them, as well. My thought was to put the aprons on those girls one morning, and then maybe that night, slip her back into the coop with the rest of them. If she's only separated for a few days, will that be adequate for reintroducing her, or will I need to go through the whole caging her separately, but in view thing?

I'm assuming the crazy behavior on her part was maybe stress related, from being inadvertently separated from the flock, and left outside on a cold snowy night. So, I really don't want to stress her more, by keeping her separated for any longer than I have to...

Anything else I should know?

 

[lambchicks]

Sounds like you have thought this through.
I am wondering if you should put this in Emergencies/Injuries/Diseases?

 

[dgilm]

Thanks.... I kept her in the garage for about 2 days, then put her back into the flock. She ate a little, took a drink, then went into the coop. So I went to where I could watch her, and she hopped up onto the roost poles. and started her crazy preening again. I had to go, so I just figured I'd check in on her that afternoon. By the afternoon, she was back in with the rest of the flock, and seems no worse for the wear. It was pretty funny, because when she was put back in with the rest of them, the stood in a semi-circle around her, checking out that apron, but it doesn't seem to bother her. Now I just need to take the time to make up a few more for the "low in the order" gals, to protect their backs. There are several that have a smallish bare spot, one that has a whole bare strip, but none bloodied. I am still finding some feathers in the coop and in the pen, but not as many as before I moved them into their coop from the brooding pen in the garage. I'm hoping that the worst of the feather picking/pecking is past us now.

 

[PoultryPedia]

That's a baffling situation to run into. It sounds like the solutions you figured out are working well. Very glad to hear things seem to be resolving!