TennysonFarms
Hatching
- Apr 9, 2017
- 3
- 0
- 7
Hey all! I'm new to BYC so go easy on me if this question has been asked before (it probably has). This morning The hens were making a lot of noise. I went down to check and I saw 1 single bloody feather. When I looked around the coop some more I found small areas with blood on the ground. Then I found the victim, one of my hens, Girtie, had a bunch of feathers missing from her left side, around the wing area.
Now I've read a bunch of the threads on here and most complain that the patches of blood and feather loss are on the back. So I'm not sure if they also peck there, or she is doing it to herself. I separated my other 3, so Girtie is alone, but I saw her bending her head down and "scratching" (thats what it looked like) the area, then it looked like she was pulling at her own feathers. Is this a thing? Do they peck at themselves? First we thought that a predator had possibly gotten in, but what predator would pull out feathers, draw blood, and then leave without killing that hen or hurting others?
My hens have clipped beaks, we got them from the farm that way, at just about laying age. We've never had a problem before, and the only thin I can think of where there is a dominance is at night, Dot is the one hen who sleeps in the nesting box. There is room for two, but she sleeps in it alone every night. Otherwise, they all seem equal. As I sit here typing, Girtie is in the coop, and has been in there for a while. I understand that they like privacy and to go inside during the day, but Girtie is my most Foodie hen, she loves to eat, and today she has eaten basically nothing. Then when I tried to feed her from my hand, which she loves, she just went to the water instead. It's very strange, and I'm worried.
Next, how do I clean Girtie up? I want to make sure the bleeding stops, and that if the other chickens are pecking at her, that the wound heals. I have only household items, what do you guy suggest?I don't want to pick her up because the would is on her side, maybe bring out a basing or something to wash her?
Any help of wisdom you guys can share is greatly GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!
Also, here is a picture of how Girtie's side looks, the bleeding how mostly stopped.
Now I've read a bunch of the threads on here and most complain that the patches of blood and feather loss are on the back. So I'm not sure if they also peck there, or she is doing it to herself. I separated my other 3, so Girtie is alone, but I saw her bending her head down and "scratching" (thats what it looked like) the area, then it looked like she was pulling at her own feathers. Is this a thing? Do they peck at themselves? First we thought that a predator had possibly gotten in, but what predator would pull out feathers, draw blood, and then leave without killing that hen or hurting others?
My hens have clipped beaks, we got them from the farm that way, at just about laying age. We've never had a problem before, and the only thin I can think of where there is a dominance is at night, Dot is the one hen who sleeps in the nesting box. There is room for two, but she sleeps in it alone every night. Otherwise, they all seem equal. As I sit here typing, Girtie is in the coop, and has been in there for a while. I understand that they like privacy and to go inside during the day, but Girtie is my most Foodie hen, she loves to eat, and today she has eaten basically nothing. Then when I tried to feed her from my hand, which she loves, she just went to the water instead. It's very strange, and I'm worried.
Next, how do I clean Girtie up? I want to make sure the bleeding stops, and that if the other chickens are pecking at her, that the wound heals. I have only household items, what do you guy suggest?I don't want to pick her up because the would is on her side, maybe bring out a basing or something to wash her?
Any help of wisdom you guys can share is greatly GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!
Also, here is a picture of how Girtie's side looks, the bleeding how mostly stopped.
Last edited:
....Yes, boredom and over crowding....My chickens are let out all winter....
