Non-emergency - Pecked Comb Wound Care Advice

[Chicken_Bureaucrat]

I have a hen with a comb that has been pecked to the point of bleeding.

She is an Olive Egger who has just started to lay, I think 21 wks. One of her flockmates suddenly started pecking at her and I don't know why. I'd love some advice on that on my thread in the Behavior forum here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pullet-suddenly-pecking-comb-draws-blood.1594494/

This happened yesterday and I cleaned it out with Vetericyn, coated it in Hen Healer and then sprayed some Bluekote on it. The other hen immediately started pecking at her again despite the Bluekote so I separated the other hen.

https://vetericyn.com/product/vetericyn-plus-poultry-care/
https://www.mannapro.com/poultry/supplements-care/hen-healer

I cleaned her up again in the evening with Vetericyn and coated in Hen Healer. Then again this morning.

I noticed this time there was some pus/buildup around the wounds. I assume this is not abnormal but I wanted to get some eyes on the wounds to let me know if there is anything else I should be doing.

I have also given her some water with electrolytes and a dab of molasses.

She has been behaving normally and seems fine.

Today she laid a broken egg though, but it's only her 4th egg.

 

[Chicken_Bureaucrat]

Pictures from today:
Middle of cleaning:

Finished Cleaning:

Applied Ointment:

(The offending hen is in the background outside the run)

 

[FrannyNZooey]

I’m so sorry for your girl! I just experienced this this morning with our and wanted to see what other people do or have experience. Fortunately we slept with our windows open last night, so this morning at 7:15 or so we heard some unusual squawking. When I went to check on them I noticed our second in command had fresh blood all over her head comb. It was so upsetting. We got it cleaned up, and have been checking on them throughout the day. I’m also keeping my window open in case who ever did this starts up again. So upsetting. And they were just all snuggling in the dust bath together over the weekend!

How has everybody been since last month? How did her comb heal up?

 

[Chicken_Bureaucrat]

I’m so sorry for your girl! I just experienced this this morning with our and wanted to see what other people do or have experience. Fortunately we slept with our windows open last night, so this morning at 7:15 or so we heard some unusual squawking. When I went to check on them I noticed our second in command had fresh blood all over her head comb. It was so upsetting. We got it cleaned up, and have been checking on them throughout the day. I’m also keeping my window open in case who ever did this starts up again. So upsetting. And they were just all snuggling in the dust bath together over the weekend!

How has everybody been since last month? How did her comb heal up?

It's gone alright!

Her comb healed up just fine. I found that bright blue manna pro ointment https://www.mannapro.com/poultry/supplements-care/hen-healer and even the dark blue blue-kote spray didn't help very much and in fact may have made the others more curious. I think since combs are meant to be red putting blue on them just looks interesting to them.

It was just about a week or two of spraying vetercyn on and brushing debris away with a q tip.

I kept the bully hen isolated to a separate mini-coop and also fenced off an area of the run. This went on for about a month until I was sure the injured hen was healed and her comb looked normal and the bully hen was back to being peaceful. For me I'm almost certain it was because of the hormones and drama as the hens reached point of lay. Hopefully there's a similar explanation for why this is happening now for you!

Some more details in my other thread:

https://www.mannapro.com/poultry/supplements-care/hen-healer

But yeah, I would encourage just daily cleaning of the injured hen's comb and then isolation of the bully or injured hen until she's healed and things calm down.

Really hope it works out okay for your hens!

 

[FrannyNZooey]

That’s good to hear stuff went back to normal.

I’m not fully convinced that it was another hen. But then again I don’t really know. I am relocating some cameras out there though. My only other idea was that somehow a mouse or rat got in, got cornered and attacked her head. Which I did find that that’s the area they go for.

I searched the coop and run more carefully and I did find an area that could have been breached. When my husband out on the corrugated metal roof, he didn’t think to use the washers and screws to secure the hardware cloth, just staples. Everywhere else the HC was screwed in with washers. I found an area that looks like a it had been pushed up and a staple hanging out. Wondering if something got in and was gorging in the food container when she stuck her head in for breakfast.

Yesterday we took off the roof, better secured the hardware cloth all around, and additionally stuff medium-grade steel wool in the corrugated roof bumps.

They seem to be fine with each other. Snuggling and sharing a run roost. I guess we’ll see!

 

[FrannyNZooey]

Just wanted to share what we found and why we think it could have been a mouse or rat attack. You can see the staple pushed up. I believe they can squeeze through 2cm spaces from what I’ve read, and this would qualify.

Less learned if it was that. I feel so much better that we reinforced it.