Integration mishap- pullet with bloody head

[My1stChickens]

BluKote can be drying, but I would use it once the area dries or scabs a little. I spray it but it is messy, and stains. You could spray a little on a gloved finger or get it close to the skin (have a holder.) It fades over time, but it stains fingers and clothes because it contains gentian violet, a dark blue/purple antibacterial/antifungal medication and also alcohol. I use it every 2-3 days, and eventually the feathers will grown in. If it for some reason causes more pecking then discontinue it.

Thank you. I don't have any scabbing yet. But I have it for when I can try it, and til it scabs I guess I'll just keep slathering with Neosportin 2x a day. These are not quick or easy things, are they
Would the Peck No More be a better option before scabbing, to allow her a little play time? Or do we just need to wait.....

 

[Eggcessive]

I thought the picture yesterday looked well enough to start or try the BluKote, and some supervised time with others. It is getting to be close to 6 days apart, so I would try it and just stay close by for any more than mild pecking. When I separate broodies to break them, I try to get the back together in 5 days, since there can be pecking, just to show them their new place in the pecking order. Yes, some of these things can be difficult.

 

[My1stChickens]

I thought the picture yesterday looked well enough to start or try the BluKote, and some supervised time with others. It is getting to be close to 6 days apart, so I would try it and just stay close by for any more than mild pecking. When I separate broodies to break them, I try to get the back together in 5 days, since there can be pecking, just to show them their new place in the pecking order. Yes, some of these things can be difficult.

thank you for the clarification-- now I understand. I was thinking I needed scabs before I tried it, but glad I can try it now. (Today was the 6th day since it happened Christmas morning... luckily they'e had high visibility even though she's in a kennel.) I will try BluKote and supervised time out of the cage tomorrow. Weather will be mild, and I can make time to spend at least an hour supervising. Have to think about how I'll catch her again, but worst case I can use the little panel system I use to herd them all into the coop. I'll figure it out.

 

[My1stChickens]

Today is Wednesday, the 6th day after her scalping last Thursday. I applied Neosporin first, then the BluKote. (sprayed onto a gloved finger, then applied to bald area. The gloves worked well, to keep me from getting blue. I put her in the kennel while the others frisked around. Usually after an hour the others have "settled in" and tend to laze around sunbathing. I'm going back out, to try supervised integration. There are two food stations and I'm dragging a chair into the run since I'll have to be there for a bit. If it goes really well, I'll leave them all together but check back frequently but plan is to hang out in the pen for at least 45 min. I'm assuming I will put her back into a kennel this evening when it's time to go to bed. Just to be safe. No idea how I'll accomplish that since I bet she'll be hard to catch.

 

[My1stChickens]

Reintegration went SOOOO well! She was brave and approached the others right away. The two biggest birds each pecked her ONCE, but she was very assertive. Got big and tall, facing them and staring them down. Then if one approached, she'd jump straight up and stick her feathers out like a rooster would. The other one would retreat. She felt compelled to dig a hole out and dust bathe fiercely, ended up getting her head coated in dirt. Then she decided to approach the Blue Copper Maran and Barnvelder just to reinforce that she was the boss. Just marched up and pecked them. Both accepted her peck and acted humble.
She had no issues with her buddy, the other Easter Egger. No pecks exchanged.
Total pecks: single digits. I think 6 or 7. There was no ganging up, these were all one on one conversations. Total challenges without pecks- at least 4. Baldy won all of them. She was fierce.

I stayed with them about an hour and 15 minutes. Then came in to shower and get something to eat. Headed back out to check again. I'm thinking I don't have to kennel her anymore? @Eggcessive if that's premature let me know

Edited to add, went back to check on them after an hour. They were all sunbathing. I stayed an hour, and literally every 3-5 minutes the injured hen would do something to assert her dominance. She'd stand tall and flap her wings, or stare one down into submission or take chase to make one move. All directed to the two largest hens who pecked her when they had a chance. Not hard pecks, really almost curious pecks probably because there was a bit of skin showing at the edges of the BluKote. She has eaten from a shared feeder, drank from shared water. At one point she and the blue hen were at the same feeder, and the blue hen was very interested in a sunflower seed. Baldy stared at her, then deliberately took that sunflower seed for herself. Blue hen did not argue.

I think they are going to be fine. Bossy Baldy seems to have quickly re-established her authority, but hasn't hurt any of the others. I will probably not be able to catch her to apply neosporin this evening-- but will herd them into the coop, and come back late at night after dark to do it.

The blue copper marans is being respectful. Injured hen holding her own. Her friend (in foreground on picture with 3 hens) is still her friend. The barnvelder (not pictured) is as big as the blue hen, and has also been subdued.

 

[Eggcessive]

So glad that it went well, and she is still the boss.

 

[My1stChickens]

Update-- today is the 3rd day of reintegration and it's all gone really well. She is vigorous, and has consistently asserted herself. Sometimes she just randomly runs over to assert herself, I guess once she got beaten up, it made her hyper focused on making sure no one felt like they can mess with her.
The first couple nights she slept with the others on top of the cage. I've been staying in the coop from dust til it's truly dark just to make sure they are all settled. Last night I went back after a couple hours, and moved them all to a roost. Not the highest, not the lowest. The middle one. I'm going to do this each night til they learn to roost. I will remove the cage from their half of the coop tomorrow, after two nights of placing them.
The dummies still want to try to roost on the metal divider panels-- literally the metal top bar is about 1/8" and there is netting zip tied to it, making the barrier to the ceiling, so it should not seem appealing.
I'd like to train them to roost on "their side" of the coop before full integration.
There has been zero hostility through the dividing fences inside or outside, but I feel like I should let this go at least a week without incident before full integration. I've got another 4 days of nice weather, then two days of rain (so they will have more coop time from one afternoon through midday the next day-- need to leave them in since the divided run fails to offer a roof for the 5 month old group, or I can reconfigure the dividers but that is a HUGE task given the netting and all.)

Baldy's head looks pretty good. Some of the BluKote rubbed off and left a patch of skin showing, so I had to reapply a bit. Did it without gloves even though I knew better-- I had gone to check at dusk and saw the issue, caught her quickly and did not want to return to the house to get gloves. I did learn that if you wash your skin PROMPTLY and scrub a bit, most came off. And if you use alcohol or hand sanitizer on the tough stains (thumbnail and cuticals) those will come off too! Still I will use gloves.

@Eggcessive: Is it important to continue both Neosporin AND BluKote or am I good with just BluKote at this point?

I'm so very happy that she's doing so well, and proud of her for holding her position with hens that are markedly bigger. I realize the acid test will be full integration with the 8 month old group. The fact that they did not kill her speaks to their generally good natures. I will closely supervise and if I see an 8 month old acting mean, I'll not hesitate to put her in jail. Just because they lay pretty eggs does not entitle them to be mean girls!

Will try to get updated pictures to share later today.

 

[My1stChickens]

As promised, Friday update pictures. Some to show how Baldy's head is coming along-- after she's totally coated it with dust during a marathon dust bath. I guess I will have to do apply meds again, after dark when I can catch her. It's looking dry so probably Neosporin first, then BluKote? (I'm making this up as I go along)
Also pics to show how well the reunited 5 month old group is getting along, and a couple to show that the 8month olds are not that much bigger than the bigger 5 month olds. Really happy to have mild weather while they complete phase one of reintegration.

 

[Bawkbok]

She looks good. So happy to hear the integration is going smoothly. Good job with all of that.
I've read here previously, and it's been my experience, that it takes about 2 weeks for chickens to get used to a change (they don't like any changes at all) or a new habit. That said, if they don't start cooping on the side you want them to you may want to encourage that for two weeks. Just a thought. Experts can provide more insight.
I'm so happy everything is going so well for you. You're a very observant chicken momma and that goes a long way for identifying behavioral issues or medical problems. Happy clucks.

 

[Eggcessive]

I think that it sounds like it is going great. I would just use the BluKote now, and apply it every other day.