THE HENS ARE AT IT AGAIN!! (Wounded Hen) -- GRAPHIC PICS!!

[chickeepoo]

Chickeepoo used to be 2 or 3 in the pecking order, but she's at the bottom now apparently. I peeked at her just now and she has pecked herself in her wound- she has purple dye and blood on her beak. I've covered her and turned out the light, so I hope she'll get to sleep and leave it alone… but it must be painful. I'll keep giving her some electrolyte/vitamins in the water, and should I continue to use the blu-kote and/or antibiotic ointment? And the aloe mentioned, you mean the pure gel, to put that directly on her open wound? I'm afraid of hurting her, but this thing looks like it could really get infected.

I thought the Dumor layer feed had everything the hens needed in it, and they still got extra treats, but not in the quantity they were getting free ranging. I also was picking and giving them caterpillars from the garden when the weather was warmer and grubs as I found them. They had lizards and bugs to look forward to, but these days it's mostly coop-time. They were tearing up the yard pretty badly (especially next to the house foundation), so the coop/run were inevitable in a small yard if they were to stay. I'll need to make a lightweight tractor I can turn them out in for a little while each day. This is a far cry from my little pipe-dream last March of me and my 4 chicks living happily ever after.

I've got to get some sleep- I'll check back in the morning on this thread, and thanks to all for your input.

 

[jhm47]

First the good news: From seeing your pics, I think that your hen will heal up just fine. You will need to keep her isolated till she is healed up, but chickens are remarkably resilient, and can recover from some very serious wounds.

Second, the bad news: If I were you, I'd partially debeak all your hens. They have a taste for blood, and I seriously doubt that you will be able to stop them from continuing their gruesome habits. You seem to be feeding a great variety of feeds, and their diets don't seem to be lacking in anything. Chickens often begin to pick each other for no reason other than that they are bored, and once they start, they are very difficult to break of the habit.

You can debeak them with just a sharp kitchen shears. Just be sure to make the top beak about 1/8 inch shorter than the bottom one. Yes, they will bleed some, and it will be painful for them. Just remember that you are saving their lives, and the lives of their coop mates. In a few days, they will be back to normal, and you will be at ease knowing that they will not be picking on each other again. Good luck to you!

 

[chickenzoo]

If at all possible I would expand your coop. A 4x8 space is small even for 1 hen, IMO. I think they are frustrated and bored, as well as possibly missing something from their diet. Until you can expand, you could perhaps let two out at a time to free range, then switch. That way they all get some free range time. You could get a flock block and put in their run and other things for them to pick at and keep them busy. Put things for them to scratch down on the ground, like feed underneath some hay, Feed in an empty soda bottle with some holes punched in the sides so it will roll and spill small amounts of feed. I give mine some sweet feed, they love it. I'd tie some cheap dog rope toys to the sides of the pen for them to pick at. You also may have to do what is suggested above about debeaking. I had a young hen, in a pen that killed a young roo and ate him, even though she had food etc. I turned her loose to free range and she never has tried to kill another. I think yours need more time out of the pen. I would make acomadations to your yard to prevent their destructive behavior, both to your yard & to each other. Best wishes

 

[ChazsChikNCoop]

I'm just going to throw this in-I am no expert, but have heard that when you have a flock of all hens, one takes up the rooster part. Sometimes this causes (I've heard) extreme pecking.

Good luck and make sure her wound is kept as clean as possible.

 

[chickeepoo]

Thanks to all- I'm still digesting the debeaking/coop expanding possibilities while we concentrate on getting Chickeepoo better. She's eating and drinking fine, and I haven't seen her go after her own back this morning. Obviously, there's still an open wound there- I'm assuming I should clean it daily and put ointment in it, or is the blu-kote the only thing I should be using here? It looks like it'll be a while before it closes up. My husband took one look and said if that were on a dog or cat it would require stitches to close it.

Do we have any stickies here on basic wound care for hens?

 

[ruth]

From the pics of the wound, I believe she will heal just fine. I use Furall, a yellow spray on antibacterial that I buy at feed store. It helps wounds to dry, prevents pecking, and helps repel flies. I've had hens severly ripped open from roos on their backs and I've sewn them up and they've healed just fine.

The pecking is from having been free range and now being cooped up in a very small run. If they free ranged, they know freedom and fun and now they are bored. Can you let them out again? If so, I believe you will see this behavior stop. If not, they will continue to pick on one another and literally eat each other alive.

Yes, it would have been better to never let them out than to have them free range all along and then coop them up. My flock of over 100 free range all day long and I've never had an issue with pecking or fighting and I have everything from babies to adults, peacocks, and ducks all roaming around the farm together. BUT.....if I didn't open that coop door in the mornings and let them all out, they would take one another out (as in KILL) in a heartbeat.

 

[CarlaRiggs]

Chickee ~
Why are you keeping the hens in a run now?
I have four hens and used to let them free range in our back yard (I have a suburban lot) everyday until they put themselves into the coop at dark. After awhile I got tired of fertilizer everywhere! So now they are out for a few hours a day. Usually I let them out at noon, and put them back in about 4:30 or so. I entice them back into the coop with treats, then lock them up safely.
They seem pretty happy and content, although sometimes I'll look at the window and one or two of the hens are packing back and forth by the door, waiting to get out of the run. They also start a big racket at times! During the morning I may throw them some scratch, or green treats.
As soon as it stops raining

, I'm planning on putting a small picket fence to corral them into a smaller space when they're out in the backyard. This way they won't be able to wait on my clean bricks at the sliding glass door. Silly girls. They love to wait for treats.

Carla

 

[chickeepoo]

Ruth, did the pics of my hen look like she should heal up without stitching? And I haven't heard from anyone as to if I should just keep the blu-kote on daily, or is this wound is too deep for that? Do I use antibiotic ointment as well as the spray?

Chickeepoo was throwing wood shavings over her shoulder and onto her wounded area this afternoon before she got herself into a corner of her crate to lay. It seemed she was trying to cover her injury or something. She's still eating, and being pretty patient with all of this.

Carla, I just read your post- My hens were intended to be in a coop/run at the beginning, but it wasn't ready and I figured a little free ranging would be good for them. If they weren't tearing up our small yard yard and the area right around the foundation, I'd still be able to let them out some, but I'll need an enclosure like a tractor to set around in specific areas to let them out now. Meanwhile, I'm just trying to get Chickeepoo through the healing process. I do have a friend who has finally finished their large coop and run and is down to 1 hen that the predators didn't get… If my hens won't be happy adjusting to the new arrangements, they could be happy out at my friend's place. I think any future hens I'll need to raise and keep in the run with outings in a tractor.

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
I was wondering the same thing, I have a hen with a similar wound, it really looks as though it should be stitched up (oh boy, am I up for that??). I put antibiotic ointment on it tonight, but no one seems to be bothering her right now, it's in a bit lower spot than this thread's hen, so her wing covers it. It does have skin drawn around it, though, I can't imagine how it will heal without being closed.

 

[ruth]

Quote:
I was wondering the same thing, I have a hen with a similar wound, it really looks as though it should be stitched up (oh boy, am I up for that??). I put antibiotic ointment on it tonight, but no one seems to be bothering her right now, it's in a bit lower spot than this thread's hen, so her wing covers it. It does have skin drawn around it, though, I can't imagine how it will heal without being closed.

My theory on gashes is that if there is an open gash and skin that can be closed up with a stitch or two (or twenty) why not do so? It will heal so much nicer. Here's a link to a thread on which I posted pics of a badly ripped open hen; the stitches and procedure; and how beautifully she healed - I've done it many, many times - it isn't as bad as you think.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=129651&p=2