One of my girls was pecked to death; now 4 injured...

[Crazy4PitBullsandChickens]

Hi Everyone,
I am new here and I tried to search for my exact issue before posting but I could really use some help. This is my first flock and first go at raising chickens. I had 12 chickens and lost one yesterday to a horrible chicken pecking accident. My girls are 17 weeks old, I have 3 Mt Caramel, 3 Americaunas, 3 Bard Rock, and 3 now 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes. I went in to the coop yesterday and found Runa lifeless with a bloody bottom and a hole pecked through to her insides. I say this was an accident only because the girls did not continue to peck at her after her death. It appears as though the fatal puncture was made on the roost, she then made it down the ramp and died under the nesting boxes. I noticed that one of my Americaunas wasn't acting right, hiding in her nesting box so I picked her up to find her bottom pecked with open lacerations and she was bleeding. Further investigation of my flock revealed that all three of my MT Caramel girls were also pecked and had missing feathers and bleeding bottoms. I took each chicken and cleaned them as best I could and sprayed them with Blu Kote. I bought 4 crates and have them in the coop with the other girls so they can rest up and heal with out being continuously pecked. I am cooking them eggs 2 x a day and giving them hydro-hen in their water. So far the wounds look ok. Everyone is eating and drinking, and pooping normally. One of the girl's comb looks a little pale but her waddles have perked up since yesterday. My questions....

1. Do I have to clip the broken feathers that have the blu kote on them or do anything in that area now that the blu kote is on?
2. How long should I keep them in these crates and will I have a problem re integrating them since I have not actually removed them from the flock?
3. I have an idea who the bullies are and I have pin peepers on the way from Amazon, will these work? There is more than one bully now that they have gotten a taste of blood.
4. I have an opportunity to get a rooster from a friend, healthy flock, he is a Brahma about 4 weeks younger than my girls, just started crowing and needs a home. I committed to taking him as I read that a rooster will re organize the pecking order and may stop the bullying but do you feel that my flock is traumatized enough right now?
5. Three of the injured girls laid an egg this morning. Should I worry about the fourth becoming egg bound? The 4th girl is the worst injured in that area. Is it painful for her to push the egg out?

I think what started this in the first place was that I had a timer on the lights in my coop to go on at 0400. The automatic door doesn't go up until sunrise 3 hours later. The girls are in a 10x6 coop which gives them over the recommended 4sqft of interior space but I think they got bored. They have a 20x10 covered run and I do not free range as I have 6 dogs that I am afraid will hurt them. I have diversion activities in the run such as stumps, roosts, cabbage hanger, swings, dust baths.....these girls want for nothing....I am beside myself. If any of you have any experience or suggestions for me on the care, recovery and beyond please help a girl out.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

1. Pictures ALWAYS help with determining next steps for wounds.

2. Until they are well healed and maybe.

3. I have never used pinless peepers. My solution for bullies is to isolate the bullies until they aren't seen as part of the flock anymore and reintegrate.

4. I think if you're going to have to reintegrate birds anyhow, once the hens are healed up you could mix the rooster in with the hens to be reintegrated.

5. I would not worry about egg binding unless non-laying continues after they're well and have lots of daylight. However it could well be painful to lay right now.

If you move them somewhere warm for their recovery they may well heal faster. I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Pullets reaching sexual maturity and the point of lay can become moody sometimes and prone to more aggressive behaviors. It generally evens out after a bit.

I would shut off the extra lights. It can cause birds to become more aggressive, and give them more light hours to keep busy. Your pullets will lay no matter their first season.

And welcome to BYC, , wish it was under better circumstances.​

 

[Wezdin]

Sorry to hear, I agree with the others pics are needed. IMO it wasn't an accident It's just chickens nature, when they see blood or anything they don't know they peck at it. They are such a lovable animal but obviously have no morals.I agree with the light thing, also, what kind if light is it? A certain kind of light (I want to say fluorescent but not sure)strobes fast enough for us not to not notice but really annoys chickens, that might have pushed them to become aggressive.

 

[Shadrach]

Not all breeds mix well. It's not popular advice on BYC and too late for your current circumstances but similar breeds tend to stick together and if you've got heavyweights they'll often bully the others.
Here in Spain not many keepers keep mixed flocks especially if they are confined.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My flock is all kinds of breeds. I see no aggression here.

 

[aart]

Are you positive that no predator was involved here?

 

[Shadrach]

My flock is all kinds of breeds. I see no aggression here.

You're very lucky then. I have never heard of a flock with no aggression between individuals, let alone kept one.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I've not had a fuss from my flock since integration. No aggression here either. Mixed flock.

 

[Crazy4PitBullsandChickens]

Thank you! I have edited to add photos. They are tough to see with the blue kote but I added an original before I sprayed them.