Pecking injury...

[tripletfeb]

Looking good I think. No eggs from either today. The brown one is the one I put pine tar on the other day, you can still see it in the picture. Both are still getting neosporin once a day and wounds are getting flushed out as needed

 

[tripletfeb]

I'm seriously ready to give up. A third chicken has wounds now. Another light brahma. I got home after dark and went to get the eggs, she was in the nesting box, trying to sleep. Her wounds look like another chicken was pecking her vent and right below it. She had white stuff leaking out of her vent but she laid an egg yesterday at least so that wouldn't be an egg laying issue, right? These pictures are before I cleaned her up and put neosporin on her. I put her in the dog crate with Popcorn, the other light brahma. I really hope they leave each other alone, I'm running out of dog crates. And patience!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm seriously ready to give up. A third chicken has wounds now. Another light brahma. I got home after dark and went to get the eggs, she was in the nesting box, trying to sleep. Her wounds look like another chicken was pecking her vent and right below it. She had white stuff leaking out of her vent but she laid an egg yesterday at least so that wouldn't be an egg laying issue, right? These pictures are before I cleaned her up and put neosporin on her. I put her in the dog crate with Popcorn, the other light brahma. I really hope they leave each other alone, I'm running out of dog crates. And patience!

I agree, it looks like the vent has been picked.
Probably urates leaking out due to the damage.

Space may be your biggest issue since the weather has been bad and they aren't going out a lot, but the picking can become a bad habit.

 

[tripletfeb]

I agree, it looks like the vent has been picked.
Probably urates leaking out due to the damage.

Space may be your biggest issue since the weather has been bad and they aren't going out a lot, but the picking can become a bad habit.

They have been going out in the run since I put the hay down like you suggested. I threw treats down for them and they pick through the hay to get them. This chicken was fine yesterday. The picking happens so fast. Did I treat this wound right, with cleaning it and putting neosporin on? What does anyone suggest I do to break this habit of picking? I narrowed it down to either of the black sex links, I believe. Process of elemination, the other brown pearl star leghorn is fine for now but I probably just jinxed her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yes, you treated it fine by cleaning and using the Neosporin. You will probably need to soak/clean her at least once a day, that white "stuff" is probably urates and it seems to harden on the skin from what I can tell from helping others. So keeping the tissue/wound moist with Neosporin to help prevent that.

Some birds can't handle confinement as well as others. Vent picking can occur when a hen is in the nesting box laying an egg. Not sure if you've every seen the process, but a little tissue is exposed when expelling the egg, so that's enticing to be picked at. I can't say if that's when it's happening, just a thought. Some folks put up curtains over their nesting boxes to give more "privacy". @aart do you have suggestions? I think you have more enclosed boxes?

 

[aart]

@aart do you have suggestions? I think you have more enclosed boxes?

Detailed drawing is in my 'nests' gallery album.

 

[tripletfeb]

Well, here is Marshmallow, the light brahma that got vent pecked. This is right after she got an epsom salt bath but before her blow dry and neosporin. She still looks messy and stinks bad. Nothing looks infected and if the vent wasn't leaking, I'd say she was doing really well. But her vent still leaks. Does it look prolapsed? I didn't think so but am wondering why she would be leaking urates. She is in the crate with Popcorn and one of them laid an egg today, sure hope it was Popcorn! But Popcorn and Cinnamon(brown one) are looking much better

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Well, here is Marshmallow, the light brahma that got vent pecked. This is right after she got an epsom salt bath but before her blow dry and neosporin. She still looks messy and stinks bad. Nothing looks infected and if the vent wasn't leaking, I'd say she was doing really well. But her vent still leaks. Does it look prolapsed? I didn't think so but am wondering why she would be leaking urates. She is in the crate with Popcorn and one of them laid an egg today, sure hope it was Popcorn! But Popcorn and Cinnamon(brown one) are looking much better

The leaking is likely from the damage. Time will tell if that will stop as she heals.

 

[tripletfeb]

Well, Cinnamon and Popcorn are really looking a lot better so I put them out in the coop, along with Marshmallow, the brahma with the vent damage. She is still leaking urates and stinks bad but there is no wound for me to treat so I'm hoping she gets better on her own. I have been giving her epsom salt baths and trying to keep her clean. I did put the two black sex links and the other pearl star leghorn in the dog crates in my garage. I'm hoping that by keeping them seperate, away from the coop, they will fall lower in the pecking order and not bully the others when they finally get together. Cinnamon(the one that was acting crazy) seemed to do really well with the two light brahmas in the coop . Hope it stays that way. I put a tree stump and some treats out in the run, to keep them more occupied. We'll see if it works I guess

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Well, Cinnamon and Popcorn are really looking a lot better so I put them out in the coop, along with Marshmallow, the brahma with the vent damage. She is still leaking urates and stinks bad but there is no wound for me to treat so I'm hoping she gets better on her own. I have been giving her epsom salt baths and trying to keep her clean. I did put the two black sex links and the other pearl star leghorn in the dog crates in my garage. I'm hoping that by keeping them seperate, away from the coop, they will fall lower in the pecking order and not bully the others when they finally get together. Cinnamon(the one that was acting crazy) seemed to do really well with the two light brahmas in the coop . Hope it stays that way. I put a tree stump and some treats out in the run, to keep them more occupied. We'll see if it works I guess

I'm glad to hear they are healing.
If Marshmallow stinks - do you think it could be infection? Do you have any antibiotics on hand?

Hopefully the change and moving them all around will help. Keep us posted.