Please help....BLOODD :(

[HardisonsHens]

Ok I was outside sitting and watching my four 20 wk old chickens 2 silkies 2 white leghorns(whom have all grown up together since they were 2wks old) all was good then the 2 leghorns(female) started to do this thing with there feet so I assumed one of them was trying to establish dominance over the other it didnt look like anything major so I didnt do anything then I saw blood !!! I guess one of them got the other under the neck with a toe nail.I was freaked out.Ive been sitting and watching them and the other leghorn isnt chasing her she just gives her a peck when she walks by.What do I need to do ? Anything ? Or will they be ok and be able to figure it out on there own.Im so worried as Im new to the whole chicken world.Please all help would be great as Im now a nervous wreck

 

[Happy Camper]

Nope they won't figure it out on their own... they will fight to try to kill each other... what you are describing sounds like the position they assume when you see cockfights for example and they do that to kill the other one, at least as long as they are together...

Check youtube and look for a cockfight video to see if you can relate what you saw to that...

Oooorrr, maybe that was just an altercation... but kind of brutal as you describe it

 

[HardisonsHens]

It only lasted a second but felt like forever.I was able to look underneath and saw she got a lil piece of skin but my goodness.They are all doing ok now.It started back raining again so they will all be going under there coop so I hope everyone can behave.

 

[HardisonsHens]

???

 

[Angie8eggs]

Did one of the leghorns get on top of the other leghorn? Or did she strike at her with her foot?And you are sure they are all female? If so, she was probably establishing the pecking order, you will have that, just keep an eye on the injured one, they might all peck at her because they no she is hurt. I would recommend using Pine Tar on her, it heals the chickens wounds and also prevents other chickens from pecking on her, they don't like the taster or smell to it. Just you a tiny dab of it! Hope she gets better!

 

[HardisonsHens]

Well it seems as they both raised there feet together at the same time and as far as them both being female well thats what I was told when we bought them from our local feed store that all the leghorns were female.They both look the same.Same size,same look to there tails and same features everywhere else.I took a warm damp wash cloth and cleaned her as well as I could then applied neosporin to the little area.Ive not seen anymore squabbles but maybe the rain is distracting them.Hopefully whatever it was is over....I hope.

 

[Angie8eggs]

Sounds like she is in good hands with you!

 

[music4mysoul]

It's a scary sight indeed --- no one has drawn blood, but we have seen the scene you described only a couple of times with our girls. Otherwise there is some bullying from our queen to the girl at the bottom, but its mostly a peck here and there after a good chase.

There are many other posts about putting something on the wound to disguise the blood because the other chickens will be attracted to it, but I can't remember the name of the ointment at the moment. The neosporin will definitely help keep out infection but I don't know that it will discourage the other girls from pecking at the wound.

Good luck!!