My 10 week old hens live outside in a pen.
Maybe 3-4 weeks ago I reinforced it with small chicken wire 2 ft up from the base after one of my hens was beheaded by a predator. (I reinforced it that afternoon.) Then, the following morning another hen had a head wound. not too bad, bloody and some skin missing, but not too alarming. So, I quarantined her and set up a hospital inside. She recovered and her wound was becoming a small scab within a few weeks. She went back outside to join the flock maybe 2 weeks ago.
Then, this morning, I find her with an even worse head wound with more skin missing and all bloody. Along with a deep gash on her lower breast/stomach. So, she's in hospital again after I flushed the wounds, clipped the feathers and applied triple antibiotic.
I don't know what has happened.
I was told that they were all females upon purchase and I checked for myself this evening, they seem to be all females. (Thank you YT Slightly Rednecked).
Any advice? This poor girl has been through so much and I feel so bad. Should she just live separately? She seemed fine since returning and I havent noticed any bullying from the others. But I can see tendons on her neck and her head is all swollen. She's just been through it in such a short amount of time.
Pictures attached.
Thank you in advance.
Maybe 3-4 weeks ago I reinforced it with small chicken wire 2 ft up from the base after one of my hens was beheaded by a predator. (I reinforced it that afternoon.) Then, the following morning another hen had a head wound. not too bad, bloody and some skin missing, but not too alarming. So, I quarantined her and set up a hospital inside. She recovered and her wound was becoming a small scab within a few weeks. She went back outside to join the flock maybe 2 weeks ago.
Then, this morning, I find her with an even worse head wound with more skin missing and all bloody. Along with a deep gash on her lower breast/stomach. So, she's in hospital again after I flushed the wounds, clipped the feathers and applied triple antibiotic.
I don't know what has happened.
I was told that they were all females upon purchase and I checked for myself this evening, they seem to be all females. (Thank you YT Slightly Rednecked).
Any advice? This poor girl has been through so much and I feel so bad. Should she just live separately? She seemed fine since returning and I havent noticed any bullying from the others. But I can see tendons on her neck and her head is all swollen. She's just been through it in such a short amount of time.
Pictures attached.
Thank you in advance.