There was blood this morning from them pecking my EE...PLEASE HELP

[Lisa202]

Hi...
I have 10 12 week old bantams and this morning I awoke to one all bloody on the back of her neck. They must have been pecking her last night because there is blood on the roosts where they sleep.

The only thing that has happened between yesterday and today is that is was extra cold out last night (stress?) and the landscapers were doing the fall clean up around the coop and run and possibly could have scared them with the leafblower noise. Would that have caused them to pick at another??? And if so, will they now stop?? I put Pick No More on her to camuflage (sp?) the blood spot, but she has a white head and I worry that the big brown spot brings attention to it also.

Please help

Do I need to put antiseptic on her head also, or does the pick no more take care of that?

 

[Kasia]

I've never heard of pick no more but I would separate her from the rest for a few days. Once they get a taste of blood, they can really do some damage. I had a handicapped little hen that couldn't walk and she would stay in a little kitty bed on my bed. One of my RIR hens started to peck at her, and tore Pippi's whole side open and punctured her lung. I never knew chickens could do that, and Pippi needed emergency surgery. And since this is on the head, repeated blows to a chickens head from another chickens beak could cause brain swelling and do a lot of damage.

 

[Sandy16]

We've used Blue Kote on our chickens when there is a blood issue from pecking. It turns the skin/feathers a deep blue/purple and we never had a problem once it was sprayed on. It should be available at feed stores. Be warned, it will dye your fingers and anything else if you get it on yourself.

Good luck with the chicks!

 

[tdgill]

and if you don't have blue kote handy, I've read that duct tape is a good way to protect wounds from pecking. I would apply it so it is extending over the wound area and onto the surrounding feathers - so it will stick to the feathers and let the wound breathe. An antibacterial ointment probably wouldn't be a bad idea either. I've used duct tape to cover a hens back to protect her from a roosters feet. The tape falls off on its own in a few days and gives new feathers a start.

eta: knocking on wood that my roos and hens got the hang of things, everybody looks great, no feathers lost and no more dresses or tape. lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

wow another use for duck tape!

 

[Lisa202]

Thanks for all your replies...

so far this is what I did...I squirted the wound with hydrogen peroxide, then put the Pick No More (pine Tar) over the feathers. They seem to be leaving her alone out in the run and in the coop as far as I can see (I'm at work and getting reports) I want to separate her until the wound heals, but putting her alone in the garage for a couple of days to a week will only make me have to re-establish her to the flock after she heals and I've heard that will might be hard. And putting her in a small house of her own in the run (to keep her around the others without them getting to her) isn't good at night since she'll have no extra body heat to keep her warm. So I decided to leave her with the flock during the day and at night put her in a dog crate inside the coop with a heat lamp. The picking seemed to happen at night (blood all over the roosts) so this will help her during that dangerous time.

What do you all think of this plan?

Any other suggestions?

 

[mypicklebird]

x2 I have used blue coat when there is a beat up chicken. We had a pullet that had the skin/feathers pecked off the top of her head by her fair weather chicken friends. She got stuck in a gate with her head and neck on one side. I thought she was dead when I found her, but she perked right up with overnight TLC- and went back out with her buddies the next day with a blue head. 4 months later- she is normal except for shiny spot on the top of her head- like a chicken tonsure. And yes, it DOES stain fingers and clothes- so be careful!

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[Kasia]

Don't use peroxide. My avian vet said it kills healthy tissue. Use Betadine or Iodine 1 part to 10 parts warm water.

I have 3 hens that were ripped open by roosters mating them. I need to get some hen vests. But all I did was use the Betadine solution to wash the wound off and put them in a crate and they are all heeling nicely. I need to do some spur trimming but I have no clue how to do it.