# bloody chicken butt



## bonbean01

My RIR hens stopped laying after Hurricane Issac...and have just started back to laying now...and today we see one chicken is being butt pecked badly and bleeding...no change in diet, and they are not over crowded...this hasn't happened before.  Only thing different is that it's been raining...so...separated the injured hen...and she lays an egg...really small...not a regular size one.  Could she have been egg bound and had some blood before she laid that egg and would that cause them all to gang up on her and peck her butt so badly?

Still have her separate to treat her...and I've heard that before putting her back in with the others after she is healed up to put Vick's vapo rub on her butt to stop them from pecking her again...anyone try this with any luck?


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## ksalvagno

With all the bad weather, were they cooped up in their coop? Maybe they were bored and picked on her. Hope she heals up just fine for you. Not sure on the vicks but I'm no chicken expert either.


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## bonbean01

They've always had the option to go out...but you may be right...they may have stayed up in the coop and gotten bored...don't know...first time this has happened in quite a few years of having first quail, then bantams and now large chickens.  Hope when we put her back in with them after healing she doesn't get beat up as a new comer


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## brentr

bonbean01 said:
			
		

> They've always had the option to go out...but you may be right...they may have stayed up in the coop and gotten bored...don't know...first time this has happened in quite a few years of having first quail, then bantams and now large chickens.  Hope when we put her back in with them after healing she doesn't get beat up as a new comer


Be prepared for that.  I had a hen molt (lost almost all her feathers at once, and had to separate her due to pecking by other hens.  Put her back in after plumage grew in and she still got tormented.  I never was able to successfully merge her back into the flock.  She now roams solo...


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## Stubbornhillfarm

If you can get some "Blue coat" spray it works well.  It is in a yellow and navy spray can.  You spray it on.  It colors the pink/yellow skin blue so the other chickens are not attracted to it.  And it has an anti-septic in it to help aid in healing.  

It works very nicely.


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## bonbean01

Today I just wash/disenfected the bare area and she is still separate from the others since she is still pretty raw, but not bleeding anymore.  I'll give the BlueKote a try and if needed may also try putting on the Vicks vapo rub too.  

Thanks all


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## animalmom

I would hesitate to use Vicks Vaporub as it has ingredients that may sting her tender behind.  How about just plain old petroleum jelly (vaseline)?  I've heard of putting that on to help with the being pecked at... the attackers can't get a pinch on the victim because of the slippery skin.

If you wanted to put something on the hinney that would also help heal what about a generic neosporin?  Walmart has an inexpensive version that is petroleum jelly based and doesn't contain anything that might sting the tender skin.  Just a though.  Please keep in mind I have not tried this but it sounded reasonable to me.

Good luck with your hen.


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## bonbean01

Thanks for your post animalmom...just read it now after coming inside...the hen's butt was already vick's vapo rub with blue food colouring added when I read this.  I did have paper towels and soapy water if it stung her so that I could get it off...but she wasn't bothered.  She went back to eating and seemed fine.  Now, we have her in with another "pet" hen that has had her freedom since a snake caused another kerfufel, and she'd never intregrated with the flock...picked on and finally I'd had enough and let her have freedom.  They seem to be fine together and our extra rooster will join them tomorrow if all is well...sigh...who knew you'd have to know Chicken Psychology 101 to figure this out?


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## Bedste

please do not put vicks vapor rub on her raw skin.... that will burn the poor girl.  Blue Kote comes in a spray and it also goes by several names.  If this were my hen I would keep her separated and then I would put neosporin on her and then cover her with blue kote spray.  Use plastic rubber gloves when you do this.   Be sure NOT to use the neosporin with pain reliever.  That can be fatal to chickens, just get the regular triple anitbiotic ointment.   Blue Kote also helps the healing and in a couple of days before you put her in with the rest of the girls respray her and the others wont touch her.  It taste really bad.


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## ashley d

I"m a fan of the Blue Kote its amazing.   I have always used it for my chickens and I always have a spare can laying around just in case of an emergency with the goats or something.


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## bonbean01

Update...well...after turning her butt blue and naming her BlueButt...she healed up well and quickly and yesterday we put her back with the others.  Watched her closely most of the day for any problems, and all was well.  Went out this morning to a bloody horror scene...she'd been attacked by the others during the night and was in shock and dying   Felt awful that I must have put her back in too soon...put her down...she would not have survived and had suffered way too much already.  If this happens again I don't think I'd chance putting the attacked one back with the others ever.  I have cruel chickens.


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## Bedste

I am so sorry for your loss.  Its a horrible thing when you doctor someone back to health and then this happens.  You did good giving it your best shot.  Chickens are all the same...  they have little bitty chicken brains and basically just react to certain situations.  we live and learn.


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## bonbean01

Thanks Bedste, and to the others who offered advice...really do appreciate you all


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## ksalvagno

Sorry about your chicken. Isn't it amazing how mean chickens can be?


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## Bedste

when my boys were young they found a little bitty bird that fell out of her nest.  We fed it with an eye dropper and caught worms and after 2 weeks and lot of work we decided it was time for the bird to fly away.  So the boys carefully carried the box outside and took her out and placed her on the grass and instantly our cat dashed from under the house and grabbed the bird and ran off into the brush.  AUUUGGGHHH.....  it happens.


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## Stubbornhillfarm

Sorry to hear about your hen.  That is upsetting...  Chickens are really mean to each other.  Farming has a huge learning curve in my opinion.  You learn a lot on your own, you hopefully gain knowledge from others and there is always some heartbreak.  But for the most part, homesteading/farming is a wonderful part of life that I wouldn't trade for anything.  

Best wishes for you and the rest of your flock.


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## Cricket

I'm sorry!  I like to think in a situation like this that the other hens knew something 'bad' about the other hen that made them want to take her out of the gene pool.  (Can't say I actually believe it, but whatever gets you through!)


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## bonbean01

Well...I have to admit I didn't look kindly on the offenders...what an awful painful torture that had to be...but they are all producing an egg a day trying to make up for their evil actions I'm sure.

Sorry about that little bird...my daughter and I saved a baby woodpecker once and yes...our cat did the same thing as yours.  

I know it was just one chicken, but important to me and thank you all for being so great


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## RemudaOne

Hi Bon, I know this is late but just wanted to say that I've had great luck reintegrating hens. I make sure the cage or pen I separate them to is very close to where the others can see and hear her the whole time she's separated. I've not had a problem yet doing this. Sorry for your girl.... I just lost two to a predator in broad daylight and in one day.... Sickening.


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## Pearce Pastures

Sorry about your losses Remuda (and to BonBean though I know it is kind of late).


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## bonbean01

Remuda...sorry you lost chickens   Did you find out what kind of predator?  Today we installed extra motion lights in the night sheep area...a skunk somehow missed the the two electric outside wires and squeezed it's body through a square in the field wire fence...didn't spray, but freaked out the sheep.  Hubby went to get his gun, but it make it out and I couldn't see the back corner as it was dark.  Still can't figure out how it got in or out of there?  Hope you get your predator soon before any more losses!

We now have another picked on hen in sick bay...sigh...being pecked and feather pulled at her breast...is this a RIR thing?  Never had this before with quail or bantams...or did I just buy evil chickens?  Rooster doesn't do it...its the hens...and they are not crowded...have good protein content in their layer feed???  Sick bay cage is now close to the big area where they can see and hear each other, but now I'm kind of nervous to integrate her back in with those witches


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## RemudaOne

I've heard that RIRs are pretty aggressive. That's probably the only reason I don't have them here. I'm all about the egg production and they're s'posed to be awesome layers but the drama isn't worth it to me. The only breeds I will be replacing hens with now are Golden Comets, which oddly enough are RIR crosses but they are the sweetest, just minding my own business and laying humongous eggs every day hens I've ever seen. Also they aren't that big so don't require as much to eat. I free range everyone but they have 24/7 access to layer feed as well. The other breed I'll replace with is Easter or Olive Eggers. Customers love those colored eggs. I have three brown Leghorns...... They are flighty as all get out and a pain in my backside. I don't know what kind of white egg layers I will find to replace those with when the time comes but whatever it is, it will be a nice, laid back breed, lol!


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## bonbean01

You know...when we bought the RIR as youngsters, some of them had some white in them and the couple called them "production" hens from a cross with RIR.  We've noticed that they lay the biggest and most eggs and are sweet as can be.  Looked up breeds to see just what a production chicken was and found out they were Golden Comets and that they are sex linked, so by their colouring you can tell when they are small who are hens and roosters.  We decided that when we start incubating eggs in spring we will keep only those and look for a Golden Coment rooster too and eventually replace the RIRs.  Funny thing is...Golden Comet is not a "real" breed?

We're all about egg production here too, and they seem the way to go.  So far the few we have are not evil.


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## RemudaOne

That's them Bonnie . You're right, they are sex links and won't come true in breeding them. I have always just waited for a Craigslist ad but the last time I bought, I found someone very local that I will shop with again. Right now, since I let a broody hen hatch a batch, I need to find homes for two olive egger cockerels and one BCM roo . I'm keeping one BCM cockerel and pullet.  I love the dark brown eggs, but have found that the BCM hens seem to be the first ones affected by temps, # of daylight hours and molting when it comes to egg production. But all of the different colors make for a nice effect when you open the egg carton so I'll keep one or two of them always. 

What are all of the breeds that you have?


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## bonbean01

I'll be watching Craig's list here too for them.  As for breeds...well...started with quail...too much higher priced feed and care for very small eggs (although the smaller eggs make for nice pickled eggs and colouring those speckled eggs at Easter...pretty fancy)....then quit them and got bantams...rooster looks like an Old English and the hens were white...came up with lots of multi colour chicks from them...decided to quit them and go for a large breed and got all RIR with some productions in the mix this spring.  We gave all our bantams away to a friend who wanted some except for the beautiful rooster and two hens to keep him company.  They have their total freedom, but hang out by the coop and yeah, we have fresh water and feed for them, but they do eat a ton of bugs and worms which I'm happy about.  Our bantam "freedom" birds are so pampered and spoiled...LOL...one bantam hen hatched out chicks on her own (well, I did interfere and move her nest and eggs to a safer place at one point...nothing natural when I get attached to these critters) and again gave away young birds from that hatch and kept two for her.  She liked to be hand fed and pet and talked to when she was sitting.

When it came to cattle, chickens or the hogs we had on the farm when I was a kid, my Dad would always say to not interfere and to let nature take its course....hahahahahahaha...right...he intervened whenever anything had a problem   My Dad took vet night classes and he had the biggest vet fridge and supplies ever!


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