Eglu Go & guinea pig zippi run

[josephine77]

Hello all,

 

A couple of days ago, I came home to find carnage in my eglu. It was dark when I got home so as usual I took a torch and went out to collect the eggs. When I looked inside the eglu there was blood everywhere and my smallest chook Minnie was sitting hunched up looking very sorry for herself. I took her out and her whole back end was caked in blood. Agnes (top chook and bully) was obviously the culprit as she had blood caked all over her face.

 

I'm not sure what had gone wrong - as following a very slow and lengthy introduction process, they'd all been getting on fairly well, with only a bit of minor pecking every now and again from Agnes (hell's chicken).

Minnie is due to start laying soon, so I wondered if she'd been trying lay an egg and perhaps this had attracted the others to peck at her rear end. She's lost quite a few feathers from around her vent and there were quite a few cuts around the area that had bled quite a bit - poor thing.

I bathed her warm water and mild antiseptic, and that night she spent inside in a box with a hot water bottle. By morning she was much perkier and eating and drinking as normal.

 

Her back end was looking a bit dirty again today, so I've bathed her again and sprayed the area with a pet antiseptic spray as I couldn't get hold of any Gentian violet. Other than a rather scabby looking bottom she seems to be her normal self now and unbelievably seemed to enjoy what was left of her frilly knickers being dried with a hairdryer.

 

I think I will bathe the wound again tomorrow as it gets very dirty whilst she's scratching around in the garden and I'm worried it will get infected- It does look ugly but seems to have scabbed over now

 

Am I doing the right thing? Any other advice?

 

Sorry this is war and peace,

 

Jo

xxx

[Hen Watch]

I've no experience of this personally but I wonder from reading other posts on here, if you should maybe consider putting her in separate accomodation (like a rabbit hutch or cat box) until her wounds heal as I think the chooks might be drawn to peck again if they see blood.

 

Hopefully someone will come along soon who will be more helpful. Hope she's OK soon.

[sandyhas3chucks]

I would go along with henwatch here too. they/she will keep on at an injured chook. They can & do kill! No personal expwrience, as you say she may have been wanting to lay. poor thing. let us know how she is doing

[Egluntyne]

Now that it has scabbed over, a spray of Gentian Violet might be a good idea. It will disguise the wound, and it is also slightly antiseptic.