Pullet pecked by other pullet

[critterlover]

Well I've heard about this, but thought it would never happen to my girls. I have one Polish among Orpingtons, Australorps and Barred Rocks. They are five weeks old and everything was going fine. They are in a very large area until the coop is done (dalayed with so much rain).

A couple of hours after giving fresh water and food this morning, I heard a chirp that did not sound right. I went to check on the girls to see one of the Rocks following and picking at the poor Polish right above her tail feathers. I was horrified to see blood (not a lot) and a very raw oval shaped area. It had no feathers and one spot about the size of a pea that was bleeding a little. Of course the feathers surrounding the area had blood on them making it look worse. I put her in a smaller cage by herself and put Neosporin on the wound just to sooth it until I could get her something better.

I have cleansed the wound and put Blue Kote on it. I now have a purple Buff Polish or should I say a purple butt Polish. I have read rave reviews about this product and that is what the woman at the feed store suggested. Putting it on once a day. All the other pullets are getting along fine. The coop should be done for this weekend.

Could you please tell me about how long it takes this product to start the healing process. I have always gotten the impression it heals very quickly.

Also, once they are in their new coop and run, do you think I will always have problems for this girl once she heals? I really want to get her back with all the chickens because I really have no where else to put her and of course I am already attached to her.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

thats why my favorite hen is "Angle PurplePants." she lived in the bathroom for about a week.

it will heal - a couple days but you want her to be all better so dont rush. do you have a pet carrier to put her in?? once they get settled and have lots of things to do and possibly more protein (do you know this? give them some hard boiled eggs) they will knock it off. i'd keep her separated for several days - you dont want to put her back with the velociraptors and have the wound opened again.

sorry about your gal!!

anybody else??

 

[critterlover]

I actually have her in a large cage with a thick layer of shavings. I put her next to the other pullets cage so they can see each other and talk to each other. Naturally, ALL the other girls are hanging out by where her cage is as if saying "why are you in there and not in here with us"?

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

oh she's fine than! i have one of my hens in a broody coop - she's also re-coop-erating (hee hee!) and she'll be there are least a week. no worries!

just keep her quiet, lots of water, and she'll be just fine. if the wound keeps opening you can also use neosporin - but we've always just used the blue kote

 

[purpletree23]

I'm sorry to say but you will have further problems with the polish. They are just too different than the other chickens and really get picked on all the time. Another problem is that big mop of feathers on their heads. They don't have the peripheral sight to get out of the way and are prone to sneak attacks. I gave my polish to a lady who only raises that kind of bird. Or you could get another polish and have two coops?

I hope I'm wrong and they all get along. Good luck

 

[PDXModChick]

Quote:
I remember that ill fated morning myself. I was on my way into work and I came in to see one of my girls with her beautiful tail completely missing. I grabbed her up brought her in the house and added neosporin since that was all I had.

I moved her to the smaller brooding box I used with the chicks when they first came home and were tiny. As I left for the day she tried to fly out at me as she did not want to be left in the box alone so I grab another one of the girls and divided the box in half with an old window screen. She was much happier... While I was gone my mom ran to the feedstore to get the blu-kote.

I came home to a blue bottomed RIR.

Why am I going into my story here?

I waited a couple days and put her in and the other babe back in and she started to get her tail pecked at again but the birds did not like the taste, most were pecking out of curiousity not for blood, but one of them kept pecking...

I moved the trouble maker and the other two that were in her click for the week while "baby girl" healed with her flock...

I applied the blu-kote every day for a week....

I wound up having to give away the trouble maker and her cronnies to a loving home... I never had an issue again!

 

[critterlover]

Tabitha (my polish girl) is so sweet. She has never caused any trouble. However, she has been going crazy all night being away from the other girls. I really hope to be able to get them all together again. I have ten total chickens, including Tabitha. Our coop is 8' x 14' and the run is 12' x 20', so they will have plenty of room. I hope once they get outside and have other things to occupy themselves, that this one barred rock will leave her alone.

The woman at the feed store told me her polish hens always get picked on too. The ironic part is I did not plan on getting a polish at all. She was an extra sent with the order and the woman at the store, knowing how much I spoil my animals, insisted I take her home. Now that I'm crazy about her, it would break my heart if I have to try to find her another home.

 

[critterlover]

Well my polish pullet is doing very well. She has been very restless being away from the other birds. The cage I put her in is right next to the cage where the other pullets are in and they gather by her all the time. There was only one chick that was following her and pecking at her when all this happened.

All the other pullets are very restless and ready to go outside. The coop will be ready this weekend thankfully.

I know when introducing some species of animals (or reintroducing them), it is best to do it on neutral territory. Things have a much better chance of going well and the animals getting along. I do not want to have to give up this polish chicken, so I want to make the best attempt to at least try and get them all back together again.

My question is, since everyone is going to a new and neutral area in the coop which is 8' x 14' for 10 chickens, would that be the best time to try to reintroduce her to the flock? Of course I would keep a very close eye on them to see how things go.

 

[Judy]

It might help a lot to reintroduce at the time of the move, yes, as distraction can help the process.

If there is only one who is doing the pecking, you might be able to stop the problem by removing the pecker for several days. When you reintroduce it, it will be at the bottom of the pecking order. I have read that the flock thinks the one being introduced is a new chicken.

Here is an article about introducing new birds; some of the ideas might be helpful:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock