Pecked at hen.. keeping inside until healed?

[ecogirl2206]

Hi everyone, I'm sure i could find this somewhere but I'm short on time with a new foster kid at home <3 I've got a 2 year old Light Brahma hen who's always been low on totem pole with my 3 easter eggers and 1 RIR. They have a a small coop 56 sq feet with the run, the coop itself (just for roosting at night) is only 12 sq feet. My Brahma is being pecked at in the run by the RIR, she flew into my arms today, I felt so bad putting her back in, back of head has been pecked and had clumped dried blood I was thinking i would put her in large dog crate (inside the house..or is garage better?) for a week or two until totally better and put the 500 sq foot electric fence addition to the run up so the birds have MUCH more room. It would be electric fence with netting on top for owls/hawks. I'm hoping its enough so the run can be kept open 24/7. Thoughts? This a decent idea or bad? In Illinois and its starting to get cold, if that matters. I've had one hen eaten by something we have every predator imaginable when the coop door came open a couple weeks back. Brahma is very dirty i'd like to give a bath and check out her wound and make sure nothing else. Should i use baby shampoo? Can i put neosporin on the wound if still open? The coop is very small i can't get in and out of it so I can't put the crate inside the coop. Thanks

 

[ChickNanny13]

It's been recommended a coop be minimum 4sq ft per chicken & the run 10sq ft per but as we all know larger the better. RIR are not my favorite (personalities) and Brahmas are much larger than "regular" sized LF.

You may want to "time out" the RIR in the crate with food/water, crate in the run with the rest, putting her in the coop at night or just remove her from the flock for a week or so. Put her back and watch it she's behaving better. Or just rehome her.

Need a picture of the Brahma's injury ... If you do decide to bath her, blow dry her well and make sure she don't catch a draft. It's possible she's not dust bathing due to being on the defensive with the RIR. As for cleaning the wound area, you could initially use hydrogen peroxide or saline solution. Neosporin with out the pain relief is good but it all depends on the wound, hopefully it's not as bad as it may look.

 

[ecogirl2206]

i know the coop itself is too small but its just sleeping, the injuries happen (i've seen it) in the run which is just over 10sq per bird. I'm building a 84 sq feet coop in the spring, but that's a long way off. Hoping an additional 500 sq feet of run will allow her to get away from the RIR. Or i could rehome RIR...hmm....that may work. So i can bring the injured bird in for a week- that would be good?

 

[featheredplanets]

i know the coop itself is too small but its just sleeping, the injuries happen (i've seen it) in the run which is just over 10sq per bird. I'm building a 84 sq feet coop in the spring, but that's a long way off. Hoping an additional 500 sq feet of run will allow her to get away from the RIR. Or i could rehome RIR...hmm....that may work. So i can bring the injured bird in for a week- that would be good?

Separating her will do more harm than good. She is already at the bottom of the pecking order, taking her out will mean needing to integrate a single bird back into the flock, which is not easy. Isolate the main bully so that the Brahma has a chance to gain a higher rank. More room and entertainment may help the pecking order issues.

 

[glassdragonfly]

I would leave her with the others if I could. Maybe give them some hides,like a row of wood rounds standing up. Just a few spots so the lower ranked hens can get out of sight from the bossy queens.

 

[CindyinSD]

If you can give the RIR to someone else (or make chicken & dumplings), that might help. It’ll remove a bully plus give you more space instantly. Alternatively consider taking the RIR out for a week or more to lower her rank. If you can put your hurt girl back in and they don’t trouble her (with RIR out), then maybe she can heal in with the flock.

Otherwise maybe you can squeeze in a dog crate to keep her safe. I like to spritz a little Blukote on to disguise the injury and make it a less obvious target.

 

[ChickNanny13]

All good advice ... But the main thing is not to remove the Brahma from the flock, remove the RIR for the crate or rehome. How is the injury? Picture?

 

[AdvAnnie]

Agree, isolate the RIR. My RIR ripped all the feathers from the neck of my Brahma. I still keep my RIR separate during the day, they seem to all sleep at night ok together. The chickens cannot be wet in cold weather, so use discretion with cleaning with liquids. If the RIR is away, the others may dirt bath/sand bath without fear.

 

[AdvAnnie]

I forgot to add - I keep the RIR in a large wire dog crate inside the run, with her own food and water, I built a little perch bar, cover the back portion with a tarp so she can lay an egg. Every week or so I give her some time outside, if she attacks, back in the crate she goes

 

[ChickNanny13]

@AdvAnnie Great idea Love the RIR color but personality, no thank you. I've read where some have had "angels" but those that I've had, have not been very nice so I just stay away from them. They are great layers but I'm more into Pets with Benefits than production, I can house only 4 - 6 although 4 works for me.