Is this normal? Bleeding between comb and beak? Growing?

[CCtheflockboss]

Checked on my 9 week old chicks this morning and everything was good. Let them out now to free range while I do some yard work, and noticed most of them have some blood around beak-comb area. Normal? (New chicken owner here) — attaching a picture of Queenie, she is the worst! Is this any cause of concern? Should I put a little poultry ointment on the open wound, or clean the blood off them gently? I’m closely watching them now to make sure no one is pecking one another’s beaks...

 

[sourland]

Could they be injuring themselves on a metal feeder ?

 

[CCtheflockboss]

Could they be injuring themselves on a metal feeder ?

I would doubt it! Everything seemed fine this morning! We do have hardware mesh around the entire run, so maybe they’re reaching through that? This isn’t part of the normal “growing” stages??

 

[Aapomp831]

Do you have bigger chickens that they free range with?

 

[sourland]

Not normal - they may very well be scraping their beaks while reaching through the hardware cloth for bits of vegetation.

 

[CCtheflockboss]

Do you have bigger chickens that they free range with?

Nope! Just these 6 chicks, about 9 weeks

 

[CCtheflockboss]

Not normal - they may very well be scraping their beaks while reaching through the hardware cloth for bits of vegetation.

How do you stop them from doing that, if that’s what it is? we have stone gravel surrounding run, so no vegetation close! Also, should I clean their wounds? I have some poultry ointment — should I apply that?

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I would doubt it! Everything seemed fine this morning! We do have hardware mesh around the entire run, so maybe they’re reaching through that? This isn’t part of the normal “growing” stages??

Nope.

 

[CHlCKEN]

How do you stop them from doing that, if that’s what it is? we have stone gravel surrounding run, so no vegetation close! Also, should I clean their wounds? I have some poultry ointment — should I apply that?

You can line the hardwire clothe with wood, up to the part that they can’t reach (make sure that it is high enough that they can’t reach through when they r older)

 

[CCtheflockboss]

You can line the hardwire clothe with wood, up to the part that they can’t reach (make sure that it is high enough that they can’t reach through when they r older)

Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of them having a run? To be outside?