Pecked chicken

[kimadoodle]

We have one rooster and four hens and between yesterday and today noticed an area on one of the hen's backs about 2"x1" that has had the feathers removed and is red and has some blood oozing. One of the hens is broody and sitting in the coop on eggs, so she is not involved and we noticed the other two hens keep going back to the injured bird and seem mostly to be removing more feathers, but are pecking in the process. The rooster didn't peck her in the time we were watching. I'm sending to tsc for blue coat, is there anything else we need to do? Any other wound treatment? She seems to be acting normal, eating and doing her normal thing. Do I need to separate her or just try the blue coat? The others don't seem as aggressive as just attracted to the injury and keep going back to it. The birds are about 6 months old and have been together since they were chicks.

 

[coolchick17]

I had this problem too with my first group of chickens. As a matter of fact their feathers never grew back because the others kept plucking them out. Could be boredom or just plain bullying. It happens in all flocks.

 

[seminolewind]

It might be the rooster mounting her. You can buy a chicken saddle, or put a bit of ointment on the area and then a few pieces of duct tape over it wing to wing. The ointment will prevent the duct tape from sticking to the area. And the tape will fall off by itself, then you can see if you want to put more on. The chickens will pick at her wound.

 

[growyourbrew]

Agree with seminole. Sounds like it's from a rooster mounting her. You'll need to keep the area clean to prevent infection. I use diluted peroxide to wash the wound if it's very bad then put neosporn on it. Then cover the area with a chicken saddle/apron. If you leave it exposed and raw, the others will peck at the injuries and in worse case, they can cannibalize the poor hen (happened to me before!)

 

[kimadoodle]

I think it is the rooster, tried blucoat which seemed to help, but then found another area opened and oozing around her tail which after observing the flock I think was caused by the rooster mounting her and opening an area and the others pecking at it. Ended up moving her to a protected area of the coop with her own food and water where they will not be able to continue to injure her and am ordering chicken saddles for her. I hope this helps, but now I worry about when we put her back in the flock of disrupting pecking order.