random blood on neck and head of chicken!

[filmcmahon]

so today my six chickens were free ranging in the yard for about two and a half hours under my supervision from the kitchen that looks on out to the yard. they had a typical free range, mostly digging under a pine tree and the shrubs. the abnormal thing is, when i went to put them in their run, i noticed our head hen Ellie had some bloody spots on her neck! recently they have been broody (our first eggs came last week!) and picking on one another but nothing too serious. what could this be from? our other colombian rock Sunny had one or two spots like this but not nearly as many as Ellie. could there be a simple explanation for this? like i said, my family and i had our eye on them the ENTIRE time!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

recently they have been broody (our first eggs came last week!) and picking on one another but nothing too serious. what could this be from? our other colombian rock Sunny had one or two spots like this but not nearly as many as Ellie

Looks like a bit of blood spatter. Someone may have a nicked wattle, earlobe or comb and shook their head spattering the others. Wattles, earlobes and combs bleed quite a bit even if just a tiny scratch - take a look at the others and see if you can find who it was. (oh, look at toes nails too - sometimes somebody breaks or loses one and it can bleed a lot too)

I went out of the summer and my head hen's breast was just covered in blood (not spatter LOL) A couple of others has some spatter. I picked her up and she had a tiny tear in her wattle (likely caught on fencing). It was just dripping away, she'd shake her head and splatter us all I just pressed on it for a few minutes to stop the bleeding. Got a damp paper towel and rubbed the blood off her breast, let her go - she was fine.

I do have a question - you mention that they have all been broody and you got your first eggs last week? They hatched out eggs last week? Or came back into lay after being broody?

 

[filmcmahon]

Looks like a bit of blood spatter. Someone may have a nicked wattle, earlobe or comb and shook their head spattering the others. Wattles, earlobes and combs bleed quite a bit even if just a tiny scratch - take a look at the others and see if you can find who it was. (oh, look at toes nails too - sometimes somebody breaks or loses one and it can bleed a lot too)

I went out of the summer and my head hen's breast was just covered in blood (not spatter LOL) A couple of others has some spatter. I picked her up and she had a tiny tear in her wattle (likely caught on fencing). It was just dripping away, she'd shake her head and splatter us all I just pressed on it for a few minutes to stop the bleeding. Got a damp paper towel and rubbed the blood off her breast, let her go - she was fine.

I do have a question - you mention that they have all been broody and you got your first eggs last week? They hatched out eggs last week? Or came back into lay after being broody?

well i’m not entirely sure about the broodiness, i just thought that when they lay eggs they get sassy. is that the same thing as broody? i’m not sure i just noticed they have been naughty lately

 

[Wyorp Rock]

well i’m not entirely sure about the broodiness, i just thought that when they lay eggs they get sassy. is that the same thing as broody? i’m not sure i just noticed they have been naughty lately

What have they been doing that is naughty?

Being is broody is when a pullet or hen wants to sit on eggs (or nothing at all sometimes) to hatch out (incubate) eggs. The pullet/hen stops laying eggs during this time, they sit very still all day, usually coming off the "nest" once a day to eat/drink and poop. A broody can also be "grumpy" - they fluff up or flatten out like a pancake, they growl or squeal when you come near. I find it funny, others don't.

Sounds like you have pullets that have just come into lay since you are getting your first eggs (Congratulations!).

Here's an example of broody behavior.