Strange bilateral wing wounds (pictures attached)

[dmeredith]

I hadn't been out to my coops in a couple of days, so I was startled to find one of my little Silkie hens with these wounds on her wings (photos attached). We have a rat problem which i'm addressing by removing feed/water at night and setting zappers all around. Could rat bites and other hens pecking have caused these wounds? I'd also like advice on next steps (separate her from the others, euthanize (hopefully not), etc). She has an almost identical wound on her right side, as well.

 

[the poppster]

Did she get her wings or feathers caught some where? Are there puncture wounds?

 

[Eggcessive]

Just guessing that this may be a pecking problem by other chickens. Silkies are low in the pecking order, so easily picked on. Get some Vetericyn Wound Spray or similar at your feed store, and apply it twice a day until it heals. She might need to be placed in a crate with food and water inside the coop for a few days if they keep pecking her. Overcrowding, eating less than16% protein in the diet, chickens of different colors, ages and sizes, and not getting outside to free range can be some of the reasons for pecking, and can lead to cannibalism. As for rats, I found the Zapper ineffective. Since I live on an old farm with a pond near the coop, I used locked bait traps like below around the outside of my coop with Just One Bite or TomCat rat bait, and rarely have a problem since.

 

[chickens really]

Looks like pecking.......Blu-kote works great.......Masks the red......If housing non Silkie breeds also they can start pecking Birds of another colour or feather.....


Cheers...