Need help! Two hens, both have bloody heads/combs ...what happened??

[FringeLore]

Hello all! This is my first post here and I hope I can find some help. Its Labor day so of course there aren't any vets open. I have two hens (Rhone Island Reds) that live in an ark coop. They have been "best friends" its seems since we brought them home 4 months ago as month-old chicks. We've had no issues at all with them fighting or otherwise.

I went out to the coop just now and found that BOTH of their heads are bloody around the comb and one even has the comb partially off! I have no idea what to do. I dont usually handle them so I'm not sure if I need to try to catch them to clean it and, more importantly, I dont have any clue what caused them to do this. They have plenty of food, water and are on a fresh plot of grass as I just moved teh coop yesterday (its on wheels so I move it every couple days for fresh greens and clean spot).

There are not any signs of blood in the coop and no signs of something trying to get in. I'm so very confused.

Could it have anything to do with them getting to brooding age? Please help!

Thanks!
Julie

 

[silky ma]

Whatever you do do not clean the wounds with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide!!!!! Yes grab them, separate them if necessary you might have a problem with them deciding who is superior.
Clean the wounds with a mix of warm water and baking soda. 1 cup of water to 1/2 -1 tsp of baking soda. If you have a holistic healing spray like shriners herbal solution use that after you clean. If the bleeding does not stop after cleaning then use quick stop for birds.
if there is no problem with bleeding then clean and apply a triple antibiotic if you do not have a healing spray. there is a spray that starts with a V that I cant remember right now...this one has no alcohol base.