Please help! Something attacked my hen!

[ANiceKaren]

I'm really hoping to see the rest of that wound when you clip the feathers on that side. Everything we can see looks real good, you're doing a great job!

I’ll take a picture tomorrow! Thank you. The deep side area is all closed up and now it seems to just be a quarter sized wound. I’ll send some pics! I appreciate the help!

 

[McChooky]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but unless you remove the bully her aggression towards the timid hens will continue unless they stay hid or die sorry.I wish you the best in your flock and hope you will at least try resetting the pecking order to restore peace.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Good job getting her wounds taken care of! I just got all caught up in this thread. Would pinless peelers help in a situation like this?

 

[ANiceKaren]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but unless you remove the bully her aggression towards the timid hens will continue unless they stay hid or die sorry.I wish you the best in your flock and hope you will at least try resetting the pecking order to restore peace.

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it! Mildred isn’t necessarily a horrible bully. She is head hen for sure and will chase the other girls mildly daily. But no worse than most chickens do in pecking order. However she will mount one or two of the girls occasionally and this is how this happened. I’m not even sure how the wound occurred my best guess says Lilac didn’t submit or Mildred got caught up in her feathers? Either way I’m willing to try to reset but knowing Mildred and my flock there is no one who will try and take her spot. I have two girls 2.5 years old.. Mildred and Hazel. Hazel is calm and their is no way she would overstep Mildred. The other 5 are 1.5 years and certainly wouldn’t take head… I’m willing to try it but most of the advice I’ve gotten on that is that it just doesn’t work. I’m honestly concerned Mildred would have a heart attack if I seperated her… or worse she would come back on a rampage As far as the hiding goes I’m not sure if Lilac is hiding from me more or Mildred.. she is over my 2x a day cleanings. She and a few of her friends stay inside for half the day.. in my large run where she can eat and drink with no worries. I then let her out for the other half of day where most of her time is under a bush with a few friends.. the love this spot. In fact, many times during the day all my girls are there relaxing and napping. She will come out and freerange but keeps her distance from Mildred. I’ve had them all together for over a year with zero issues, all normal behavior. I just need to protect Lilac from another injury while healing perhaos with a saddle when wound is healed a bit more.

 

[ANiceKaren]

Good job getting her wounds taken care of! I just got all caught up in this thread. Would pinless peelers help in a situation like this?

Thank you! I’m not sure? This is the first I’ve heard of these! They free range all day so I don’t want to put something on her that would prevent her from being able see a predator. Along with the occasional mounting she is also the one who lets flock know of danger! She doesn’t peck my girls.. just the occasional mount. ? I’m thinking saddling her “favorite” or “least favorite” may be best once healed…? This is Mildred.. I actually feel a bit bad for her knowing her horomones must be all array.. I’m guessing there is something going on…

 

[ANiceKaren]

I'm really hoping to see the rest of that wound when you clip the feathers on that side. Everything we can see looks real good, you're doing a great job!

I'm really hoping to see the rest of that wound when you clip the feathers on that side. Everything we can see looks real good, you're doing a great job!

As promised… this is from her morning cleaning. The side used to be open.. down her left side.. that’s all closed up. No smell at all.. she is so over me cleaning her! It’s wet because I just sprayed with saline and Vetrycin. Last pic is the first day for comparison. How’s it look?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Thank you! I’m not sure? This is the first I’ve heard of these! They free range all day so I don’t want to put something on her that would prevent her from being able see a predator. Along with the occasional mounting she is also the one who lets flock know of danger! She doesn’t peck my girls.. just the occasional mount. ? I’m thinking saddling her “favorite” or “least favorite” may be best once healed…? This is Mildred.. I actually feel a bit bad for her knowing her horomones must be all array.. I’m guessing there is something going on…

Good point about free ranging. I wouldn't do peepers in that case. I thought maybe if she couldn't see them to mount them,maybe. For some reason, I'd thought you'd already tried a saddle. Don't know where I got that idea - lol! That would be the easiest solution. Oh, Mildred...

 

[azygous]

On the topic of bullying, I use the opposite approach from what most people advocate when trying to solve a bullying issue. This is my article on it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-bully-chicken-victim-a-two-sided-issue.73923/ It's worked wonderfully for me as well as those who've tried it. It could work in your flock to improve self confidence of the hens Mildred is pushing around and you'd likely see less "mounting".

 

[ANiceKaren]

On the topic of bullying, I use the opposite approach from what most people advocate when trying to solve a bullying issue. This is my article on it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-bully-chicken-victim-a-two-sided-issue.73923/ It's worked wonderfully for me as well as those who've tried it. It could work in your flock to improve self confidence of the hens Mildred is pushing around and you'd likely see less "mounting".

As a high school English teacher I love this method so much. In some ways I’m doing this right now. Each morning Lilac and a trusted friend or two have the entire large run to themselves to eat and drink all they want in peace while the others freerange. I do this for about 4-5 hours a day then I let them out and supervise. She is still timid when Mildred comes around so perhaps I should do it longer. It’s been a week since I’ve been doing this and she roosts nightly with flock with no issues. During the day I’ve noticed them all napping together as well hoping this is a good sign. I’m hoping Lilacs confidence will build by continuing to do this and when she is more healed. This is great advice and I thank you!

 

[Isadora]

She doesn’t have spurs. I’m going to give it a go at cutting her nails though.. I worry this may make them more sharp?

I didn't see anyone answer this so forgive if it was already replied to. But yes, trimming nails will make the edges sharp but you can easily round the fresh cut edges with a nail file.