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?

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[brentr]

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...

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[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?

 

[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.

 

[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.