Nasty Pecking Injury - Photo Included

[GreyhoundGrrrl]

I have a 4 month old EE hen who has suddenly been getting picked on more that usual. Within the past week I noticed that 2 of my EE hens (I have 3) were missing feathers around their tail. I have 7 Barred Rocks and Buff Orpingtons that are 5 months old. My "big chickens" have always picked on the "little chickens" but it seems to be getting serious whereas before I considered their behavior to be relatively harmless. The Barred Rocks just started laying and I see that they eat the feathers the pluck. I am wondering if they are not getting enough protein. I felt bad for my EE's but didn't think too much of it until last night.

I was out feeding my flock and I noticed that poor Mildred, one of my EE's has a HOLE in her back!!! That was NOT there yesterday morning! I spend a lot of time with my birds in the morning and evening and this definitely happened yesterday. In the morning she was missing a few feathers and now there is a very wide open space missing feathers and then this awful open wound. I feel so bad for her!

We cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol (good? bad? We didn't have anything else to clean it with) and smothered the wound in neosporin then placed a bandage (literally a large band-aid) on top. This morning the bandage was missing. I guess it got pecked off. So we repeated the same steps and rebandaged her. This time we covered it in a sterile pad from a first-aid kit and taped it on with a tape we also found in the same kit (something like an athletic tape I think). We stayed outside to make sure it didn't hinder her walking which it did at first. We adjusted it and let her go about her business. The bandage drew attention from the other birds and they pecked it a little bit. Not aggressively, maybe just out of curiosity?

I am wondering if this is a pecking order issue as my usually very sweet, mellow, docile Bantams even got in on the bullying. My EE's are two weeks older than my 5 Bantams and they have been raised together from the day I brought the Bantams home. So the "little chickens" (EE's included, they are noticeably smaller than the Barred Rocks and Buff Orpingtons) have always kind of been their own little flock. So I was very surprised this morning when my most mellow little Birchin Cochin Bantam, Betty, ran up to Mildred, jumped up, grabber her comb in her beak, and made poor Mildred scream! Maybe it was the bandage? Maybe they sense she is injured? I don't know but that really surprised me.

1. So you think this is an issue of boredom, pecking order, or lack of nutrients?

2. Should I isolate Mildred? I don't want to cause her any stress and I'm afraid isolation might be stressful. Then again, being picked on like this must be terribly upsetting too! If I isolate her should I include the other EE who is being picked on so they have company and so the other hens don't redirect their focus to her?

3. What should I do to prevent this from occurring in the future? I feel so bad for her, I would hate for any more of my birds to go through this!

4. Any idea as to why the EE's are getting singled out? I have a Silver Laced Polish and I heard they are usually prone to being pecked because of their head feathers. I have not seen any evidence of anyone going after him. I even have 2 Roosters, my other Rooster who is one of my Bantams is a serious business kind of guy but he leaves my Polish Roo alone. I don't know if he has been in on the attack on Mildred though, I have not seen him go after her.

We decided that if the bandage doesn't work today we will isolate her in the house. Is this a good idea? I have a guinea pig cage she will fit in and my birds all spent the first few weeks of their lives living inside so I don't think it will be too frightening for her. She was so good while I bandaged her, she stayed still and was accepting of being held.

The photo isn't that great so I circled the spot where the hole is. The black lump on the left is where it is starting to scab. My boyfriend thinks it looks better than it did last night, he said it was very red last night and that this is an improvement. It just looks terrible to me, I don't see any improvement. Thoughts please!

 

[Folly's place]

If you are planning to save her life, she needs to be isolated ASAP, but best in a cage or pen next to the other birds, not in the house. Alcohol? REALLY??? Have you ever cleaned a wound of your own with alcohol? Sure wouldn't be my first choice; how about warm water and a little soap? I think the important question is WHY the pecking in the first place? Good food, PLENTY of space and range, and any management issues should be addressed. Consider culling this pullet if she's the only victim and all else is good. Mary

 

[GreyhoundGrrrl]

I use alcohol on my wounds. It stings a little but I've never much minded it. Mildred didn't seem to mind. She has been very tolerant and doesn't seem to mind when we have been cleaning the wound and bandaging her up.

The bandage got pecked off again so I isolated her for 2 days. I wanted to put another one of my EE's with her for company and as it turns out one of the other EE's had some blood on her tail from getting pecked as well. Her wound was nowhere near as bad as Mildred's but I kept them apart so they would have time to heal. They have enjoyed the time alone it seems. They have DEFINITELY enjoyed the extra attention and snuggling on the couch. I wrapped Mildred up in a towel and she feel asleep in my arms while we watched a movie.

I have the day off today so I decided to the Rooster Booster Pick No More stuff on her and see if I could reintegrate them back into the flock. If it didn't work I could intervene. My other birds left their feathers alone but still went after their combs. So I put a dot of the Pick No More on their combs and that stopped that!

I am amazed when I read on here that people have mean EE's as mine are so sweet! The are so low on the totem pole on my flock that even my sweet little Bantams pick on them! Bettie went after Mildred's comb after I put the Pick No More on it and she was very surprised. She tried to wipe it off her beak by rubbing it on her feathers and has spent the past 2 hours sitting alone and pouting. She looks pathetic and depressed. She even refused treats. Now *I* feel like that bad guy!!!

Mildred got some in her mouth when she tried to peck it off her own back and she's fine. I don't know what is going on with Bettie. She is very still, very sad, she is literally pouting in a corner by herself.

I am wondering if she feels like she lost her rank or if she has hurt feelings or if the Pick No More made her feel sick??? I am reading up on it more now and people are saying that it burns their skin. Really? I got it on my hands and arm and it didn't hurt at all. It stained a little but that's it. Seems to be working for me though. The other birds still want to peck Mildred but when they get close they smell the Pick No More, shake their heads, and walk off without touching her. I kind of like the smell of it honestly but I use tea tree oil all the time so maybe that's why. The birds certainly seem to be deterred by it and that's all that matters to me.

My goofy Silver Laced Polish rooster, Wembley, has been following the EE ladies around since I put Mildred and Myrtle back. He is always so clueless and is a loner, he's my only Polish chicken and I think he knows it. My Golden Laced Cochin Bantam rooster doesn't even care that there's another rooster, that's how docile and un-rooster like he is. He doesn't crow, he is skittery, he's just like his namesake, Wembley Fraggle, lol! So it's cute to see him suddenly fussing over some of the girls. I can 't even imagine what the babies would look like! Hahaha!

 

[GreyhoundGrrrl]

Welllll.... the victory was short lived. They went around all the spots where I had the Pick No More. They tore up her whole underside, pulled out all her fluffy feathers, ripped off more of her skin, and pecked her vent up

It is still easily identified though, I did some reading on here and it looks like other birds have suffered worse injuries...with varied outcomes. *sigh* I feel terrible. Yesterday went so well! Mildred and Myrtle are back in the house and I am spoiling her with as many protein filled treats I can think of that people on here have said are okay. These forums have been my bible for the past few months, I consult this website before I do anything.

Mildred will live in the house until she is fully healed. No matter how long that takes. I know it is better to keep them isolated but within sight of the other birds but I feel better about having her in here. We live on the edge of a 13,000 acre nature preserve that is FULL of coyotes. I don't want to attract them with an injured animal. It has been getting colder earlier this year and I feel like we might get a big winter. Even our pet reptiles have been eating A LOT extra like they can sense a serious winter coming on that they need to be fattened up and prepared for even though they live inside with fancy reptile light bulbs and all. So I feel like the coyotes have been gearing up for the cold as well. They have come closer to the house than normal recently and I caught at least 10 of them in the driveway a few weeks ago. My coop was built to be as coyote proof as possible but still... I worry.

Also, this is New Mexico, it is almost nothing but dirt and dust outside. I feel like I can better tend to Mildred's wounds inside, they will stay much cleaner in here. If, once she heals, this continues and I have to create a separate portion of the coop just for her and Myrtle I can and will although I hope that isn't necessary.

Still not 100% on why the pecking is occurring. I think pecking order is part of it and I suspect that they laying hens may need more protein since all this began about 1-2 weeks after my older hens first started laying. I am going to pick up some black sunflower seeds for protein and one of those pecking bricks (I forget what they are called but our feed store DOES have them) to decrease boredom as precautionary measures. All my birds LOVE hard boiled eggs so I will make a bunch so my 2 injured ladies can have the extra protein to heal and the other birds can use the protein for laying.

I am dedicated to working this out so any more advice would be appreciated. Thank you Folly's for your help!!! Culling is not an option for me unless Mildred's injuries worsen to the point that she can not recover or live a life of any quality. Then I will let her go out of love and mercy. I can always add on to my coop or divide it. It is pretty decent sized, I think. Their shelter is a converted 6' x 10' wooden children's playhouse and the full area is 24' x 12'. I am terrible at math but I think that is enough room for 15 chickens.

Any other thoughts, suggestions, advice, words of wisdom, experience, etc... Anything that anyone has to offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[GreyhoundGrrrl]

I failed to mention 2 things:

1. Mildred is still eating. I am spoiling her and she is gobbling it up. Again, I am only giving her things that other people on here have said are okay and nothing too rich. Not that everyone here is an expect but I'm new at this and if other people have has success with certain foods I am going to trust that more than my own guesses.

2. Mildred is kind of scrunched up, she is standing but this is not her normal posture. Her neck is short and she looks kind of round like she is huddling in pain. This breaks my heart, I feels so bad for her! The fact that she is eating is reassuring though.

 

[suki'smom]

Definitely up their protein intake. Try some gamebird pellets or even meatbird feed. A handful of gamefish pellets tossed on the ground once a day can do wonders for feather pickers. Add a dish of oyster shell to make up for the lack of calcium in these feeds, or even mix it right in there. I would also toss in grass clipppings, weeds, kale, heads of cabbage, pumpkins, scratch, cat food, tomatoes, ears of corn...stuff to keep them busy. Add piles of brush, pine branches, sticks to climb on, plant bushes....stuff to break up the line of sight and give them something to do. If worse comes to worse maybe you'll have to stick some gamebird peepers on the worst offenders.
I wish you the best of luck!

 

[Folly's place]

I agree about the gamebird feed, or a grower diet, and of course oyster shell separately. Adding greens, etc is also a great idea. Sunflower seeds are a great treat, but not a dietary staple, IMO. Flock dynamics may be an issue; one very aggressive bird may need to leave, or the injured birds could find another home. Culling just means removing the bird from the flock; could be to a different pen, or flock, or as dinner. I've done all three options depending on the situation. Mary