Unknown blood

[mossyoakpro]

As I have told before I have 3 pullets that will only lay in my carport nest box....yesterday I was coming in from being on the tractor all day and there's a puddle of blood about the size of a saucer and a trail to the nest box. Of course I thought something had gotten one of my birds but they had not....I checked them all on the roost last night and there is not an injury on any of them that I can see. Do they bleed from their vent on occasion after laying? That's the only thing I can think of?? TIA

 

[MysteryChicken]

It's not normal for chickens to bleed after laying eggs, especially the amount you described.

It's normal to find an occasional egg with some blood smeared on eggs, but that's usually when new layers strain while pushing the egg out. It usually resolves itself.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have found large blood spots in my coop on roosts and elsewhere, and then could not identify the victim. When a blood feather is broken, they can bleed a lot. Also comb or wattles pecks can bleed, and that blood may be found on the feeder or waterer. I have never seen blood from a vent, but they will sometimes peck vents, so it would be good to check there.

 

[mossyoakpro]

I have found large blood spots in my coop on roosts and elsewhere, and then could not identify the victim. When a blood feather is broken, they can bleed a lot. Also comb or wattles pecks can bleed, and that blood may be found on the feeder or waterer. I have never seen blood from a vent, but they will sometimes peck vents, so it would be good to check there.

I checked them thoroughly last night but found nothing....I did find a fair amount of feathers in the yard this morning so it could have been a squabble or something? But no injuries that I can find....they all seem to be normal this morning and going about their business. Strange.....