mysterious puddles of blood in the coop!

[sheeshshe]

I went to let the chickens into their run this morning and there were puddles of blood on the roosts and in the shavings etc. I can't seem to figure out who was bleeding and what happened.

it has gotten cold this week, in the 30's. not sure if that has anything to do with it? any way I can figure out who was bleeding and why? I don't want it to happen again and not sure if there is anything I can do prevention wise or not...

one of them is laying eggs, the other has only partially figured it out. she laid yolks and one soft shell one but thats all...

 

[verthandi]

Occassionally I find a puddle of bright red blood under the roost in my coop. It always startles me. Most of the time if I really check the birds over, I will find a clotted dark spot on one of them, it appears that they can sometime break a blood feather. Blood feathers are new feathers that haven't completely finished coming in yet, and are still dark inside the feather shaft. This might not be what you are finding....but it has been the cause of blood droplets around here very often.

 

[sheeshshe]

my DH is saying that one of the chickens has some blood around her vent... this is the chicken who's been trying to lay eggs but hasn't made a successful one yet... you think she has something stuck up there or something?

 

[Judy]

An egg could certainly have broken inside her.

 

[verthandi]

Quote:
That is also a likely source of the blood, are you sure she hasn't laid any eggs yet? Sometimes the first couple of eggs will be blood smeared. How is she acting other wise?

 

[sheeshshe]

she is acting fine. doing everything the others are doing etc. she's not acting quiet or reserved or anything...

I don't know if she laid an egg yesterday... I did get an egg yesterday and it seemed a bit lighter than the ones I've been getting from the BO... this is a cinnamon queen (red sex link) who has the blood.

is there anything I should be doing besides just watching her to make sure all is ok?


I got an egg from my BO this morning, so I guess she's back to laying again.

 

[sheeshshe]

I'm wondering if the blood is coming from a different chicken and not the one my DH thought. this one has been acting funny and she's going in the coop and laying around and roosting way b efore everyone else and just sort of hanging out by herself...

I found blood again this morning.

how on earth do I know whats going on?