Please Help - Advice on a moulting chicken that has been bleeding.

[chris503632]

Hi guys, really hope someone can help.

One of our three girls (the top chicken as it happens) is moulting and when we came home from work last night we saw she had blood on her chest. She didn't seem distressed and when we checked her over there was no obvious wound - it looks like the bleeding was coming from one of the feather veins. We have cleaned her up, but as a precaution I decide to work form home to keep an eye on them all.

I have just see one of the other girls take a peck at the moulting one's neck, where she has lost feathers.

To be one the safe side I have seperated them - with the moullting girl free ranging and the other two in their run.

I can't be with them everyday, so what is my best bet - shoudl I seperate them until the moulting one has regorwn her feathers. I know that chickens can keep pecking at an injured bird until they kill her so I worried about putting them all in together. I have a small four foot square run as well as the main run, so if need be I can seperate them when we're not around.

She isn't bleeding now and is running round happily. I can't see any visible wounds, but I don't want things to escalate.

Can anyone offer any advice?

Cheers in advance.

Chris

 

[Wyandottes7]

Another bird probably pecked one of her feathers that was growing in. New feathers have a large blood supply, so bleed pretty easily. I would isolate the bird that is getting pecked, at least until the feathers get grown in more.