Should I be Worried?????? Blood in Coop This Morning. . .

[Peppercorngal]

I let the flock out the runs today, went to open the gate and went back into the house to complete a few chores. I went back to be sure the feed and water were plentiful and found blood "all over" the coop! It looks like a chicken had a cut foot or something and bled wherever she stood, two roosting bars, the top of the nesting box too. I would assume that this is not enough blood to panic about, however, I looked at every chicken foot, vent, comb and generally everything and couldn't find an injury on any of my chickens????? I counted, and made sure all were accounted for but am stumped, I can't find an injury on anyone of them. Either I'm going blind or I'm missing something. Does this amount of blood look significant to worry about?

 

[AltonaAcres]

I find that a lot too. Blood smeared on the feeders, roosts, etc. I can never find the source either! Probably a toe nail.

 

[Peppercorngal]

They just swallow the mouse whole so it wouldn't bleed.

oh. . . I better start looking some more. It's very difficult to examine 29 grown chickens during the daytime!

 

[Peppercorngal]

I'm worried! It's strange you can't find a source though.... Maybe a chicken killed something and ate it?

We do have field mice around, but I found no bones or other remains of one. . . No fur, they wouldn't eat fur would they?

 

[AltonaAcres]

Oh, and my chicken gulp whole mice down, fur and all, similar to an owl!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

We do have field mice around, but I found no bones or other remains of one. . . No fur, they wouldn't eat fur would they?

They just swallow the mouse whole so it wouldn't bleed.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Oh, and my chicken gulp whole mice down, fur and all, similar to an owl!

Really? That is a possibility then I guess. I know there are mice in my shed at the edge of the free range area.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

oh. . . I better start looking some more. It's very difficult to examine 29 grown chickens during the daytime!

I frequently see blood smeared on walls, doors, feeders and water founts but that comes from the roosters' combs rubbing on them. I've never seen that much blood drip unless it was from a slit throat.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Does any of you're birds have (ILT) Infectious Laryngotracheitis? ILT can cause this as well as a severe case of coccidiosis. You'd definitely see symptoms for either. I'm trying to cover other possibilities.

I'd say no on the laryngotrachitis and the coccidosis. Everyone is eating, pooing, running around after bugs, acting totally normally. No exhaustion or coughing or pulmonary symptoms at all. No weird poop either. I sat out and watched them for a couple of hours today and noticed nothing out of the ordinary. I gathered 20 eggs so far today and have 4 more in nesting boxes. ??????? It's a mystery.

 

[Henriettamom919]

oh. . . I better start looking some more. It's very difficult to examine 29 grown chickens during the daytime!

@ChickenCanoe has a brilliant system for medicating/worming but I think it would work for health inspections, too.

As you give each chick a once over looking for injury/bleeding attach a zip tie to the ankle of each completed chicken. This way you can do small groups of a few at a time without losing track of who you've checked already. Just snip them off once you've either found the culprit of been through the group!

Good luck! I hope it's nothing too serious!