Sweet polish bloody!

[nkcsweetie]

Went to check on the girls today and saw my sweet white crested polish head just raw and bloody looking... Ive separated her from the rest ,gave her a warm bath to clean it up a little... Now my rooster polish has been pecked bloody... Argh!! Is there anything else i need to do? Im thinking about taking my 2 wcp. Sultan, and 2 silver lace polish out of flock and keep them together in their own coop/run... My barred rock and rhode island reds are just mean!!!!

 

[yellowherb]

Some breeds just do not do well with more aggressive breeds. I would definitely remove the non aggressive chicks from the BR and RIR.

Not to worry too much on the state of the poor things head. He has a lot of pin feathers it looks like and it may have looked far worse than it was just due to broken blood feathers. If you see any feather shafts actively bleeding pluck those out with tweezers.

My sultan roo got in a fight through the mesh with a pheasant cock and got really tore up. He healed up just fine

 

[annie511]

My Polish hen gets pecked too. I'll just get her feathers growing in nice and they peck them off again. I put a little vicks on her head to deter the other hens but as soon as I miss a day...

 

[yellowherb]

some breeds are just so picky and nasty. I have a buff brahma and astrolorp(?) harassing my little sultan/d'uccle mix hen and her chicks. I keep having to referee because mama is getting really upset with their curiosity. I don't think they mean to hurt anyone, just far too curious.

The picture looks like there's a few broken blood feathers. Just watch those if you don't pluck them. They can bleed pretty badly.

Lots of times chickens will eat feathers, if you have seen this happening then what may be going on it a lack of protein. They could see the blood in the feathers on the polishes head and be plucking them to eat. A higher protein food generally fixes the problem.

 

[nkcsweetie]

Thanks ya'll... First time dealing with pecking this severe kinda freaked me out... Ill keep an eye on her blood feathers.. My husband put some of that blue stuff from tractor supply, on their wounds. Would that help stop the bleeding?

 

[nkcsweetie]

I did see one of my rir chasing others to eat their feathers so definitly need protein then!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Keeping their protein up can help. What I learned years ago that when winter sets in and chickens are confined more they are more likely to start pecking because of boredom. I personally keep my polish crests trimmed in my mixed flock so they can see the other birds coming. Mine also have plenty of room and aren't confined.

Bluekote sprayed on the wound can help hide the red. I always put mine down while the spray is wet so any curious peckers get a mouth full of yuk. I personally would trim the crest short into a pompom to give your polish a chance. Otherwise removing all polish to their own flock is also a good idea. I have had birds in the past be pecked severe enough that they need culling, so it is a serious situation.

 

[yellowherb]

I use purina game bird growth and plumage, it's 28% protein. Flock raiser also has higher protein, but make sure you offer some oyster shell with either of those if you are not already.

I think the bluekote is a antiseptic, which isn't bad to use. Makes the bird a bit punk rock looking too


this is what my roo looked like after 2nd time fighting the pheasant thru the fence. I didn't think he would make it that time but he did! I had to get rid of my pheasants

 

[aart]

Thanks ya'll... First time dealing with pecking this severe kinda freaked me out... Ill keep an eye on her blood feathers.. My husband put some of that blue stuff from tractor supply, on their wounds. Would that help stop the bleeding?

Not really, blukote is an antiseptic.
Blukote might help camouflage blood to stop pecking,
but I've found it can attract as much pecking attention as blood does.

Styptic powder might help stop bleeding, or I use corn starch.
Blood (pin) feathers can bleed copiously,
if it doesn't stop you'll have to fully pluck the pin feather out using tweezers, hemostats, or needle nose pliers.

 

[nkcsweetie]

Thanks everyone! The both of them are doing awesome... Sporting their "new" blue do

I decided to just put all my polish chicks in their own run/coop. I even took my crazy evil BR and RIR's in their own run. I up the protein in their diet to stop feather eating..