Injury to comb

[UrbanEgg]

So I noticed yesterday morning when I went out to feed the crew that my oldest girl was being chased and picked at. There was quite a ruckus so I got in there and tried to break it up. Finally got her and took her out of the run. Her comb was bleeding in several spots. I'm not sure if she got hurt and then the others started pecking at the wound or they caused it. I'm fairly new to the chicken thing (got our grown chickens from a friend in January, added chicks in this spring). What would cause them to start picking at her? She is pretty old and laid a little this spring but very inconsistently and hasn't laid at all since I introduced the new chicks (though she did lay when they were in the adjacent yard, but like once a week). Its been several weeks now. Her comb has become increasingly lighter the past few months I've noticed. Is she jsut at the end of her laying days? I think she is 5 or 6? That's what the people who gave us the chickens said anyways.

Would other chickens peck her just because she was old? Do they sense something--like her being sick or something? She's been in a seperate yard, but can still see the others, since yesterday. Do I have to keep her seperate until all the scabs have healed and fallen off so they don't peck her anymore? thanks!

 

[pipermark]

They will peck at her because she is new, they will peck at her if she is sick, they will peak at her because she is new, and then if they casue a wound they will peak at the wound because thats what chickens do.

The wound , if you can not separate the bird until comb is better, then try using Vaseline or some other smelly dressing that the other hens wont like sticking their beaks into.

I am confused about who went in with whom when. But yes healthy birds of a flock , will often attack birds that are not members of their flock especially if they sense something wrong with it.