Single hen

[TheChookKeeper]

Hello,

 

Have just been down to collect the chook eggs, and put the ducks away, and as usual, had to shift a few chickens out of the egg-laying bit of the eglu, but noticed one of my girls was missing a patch of feathers about 2" square on her back.

 

A bit odd, as I'm relatively certain they molted some time ago (during a brief warm snap).

 

On closer inspection, I noticed it was all wet - so I took her out, and then saw that this 2" square bit was completely devoid of feathers, and is very bloody and really nasty looking.

 

They have all been shut in the Eglu run for quite a while - as the garden is still so wet. I had planned to let them out tomorrow to have a nice dust bath - I just don't know what has happened to her.

 

As far as I could see, the others looked fine - although it was difficult to see properly.

 

Apart from this, she looked OK, eyes were fine, crop looked normal. I am just worried about what has happened, and whether she'll be OK?

 

 

Obviously, as they've been shut in, nothing could have got at them, except for eachother - is is possible it is cabin fever? They are used to being shut up - they only come out quite occasionally during the winter months.

 

 

Thoughts?

[Egluntyne]

Sounds as if one of them has attacked her.

 

Have you got some purple spray to apply to the wound?

[TheChookKeeper]

No, I haven't - I'm sure I could get some, but not until Monday now - as the only shop around is closed on sundays.

 

Why would they suddenly turn on her? I didn't check who she was (they all look the same, so identify them by colour of leg ring!), as to how high up the pecking order I think she is.

 

I have a smaller, younger chook too, who is DEFINATELY bottom of the order, and spent months being constantly bullied by all of them - they seem to have left her alone for a good 4-5 months now - if anyone were to be bullied, I'd have expected it to be her.

 

Also - the only damage I've ever seen them inflict that caused any real damage was a feather or two plucked out... nothing involving blood!

 

Rather than traumatise her, I have left her in there this evening, but is there anything I should do in the morning, or just leave her to it?

 

 

Is cabin fever likely? I realise leaving them shut up a lot is less than ideal, but it is the better alternative to being munched by a fox, as I'm often not around until after dark.

[TheChookKeeper]

Is this the kind of thing you mean?

 

http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/Gentian_Violet_Spray.html

[Stevie]

Is this the kind of thing you mean?

 

http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/Gentian_Violet_Spray.html

 

 

Thats the stuff.Spray it liberally on the skin and it will disguise the colour red.

 

Dont get it on your hands though cos its hard to wash off.

[Egluntyne]

I would move her from the others until the wound is dealt with and disguised in some way.

 

They will go mad for any red, angry or bloodstained areas.

 

Someone recently, in your position, covered the wound with Sudocrem. The whiteness of the ointment did the trick.

 

They do get 'cabin fever' if confined to the run for overlong periods, with no distractions.

 

Perhaps you could extend the run a little to give them more room to play, or provide branches to perch on and escape unwanted attention, and also a cabbage to peck at.

 

Just a thought, have you checked her over for lice and mites? She could have done it herself if there was an irritation, although they don't usually groom themselves to that degree.

[TheChookKeeper]

Thank you everyone - afraid I only got back to checking the message board just now.

 

I let them all out this morning, into their proper run (about 1/4 of our garden, fenced off - MUCH more like the space they like!).

 

They have all been absolutely fine together, I spent most of the morning out there with them, and there has been absolutely zero signs of agression between any of them at all.

 

 

My sister suggested that maybe she had done it to herself, as it was in a place she'd be able to reach if she tried hard enough - I did check her for parasites of any description yesterday, and there is nothing I can see - although I didn't poke around too much, through fear of upsetting her more.

 

I had another look today, and she looks OK, the patch on her back that looked so awful yesterday is looking much better, simply because it is dry now I think.

 

I'll still pop into our local shop tomorrow morning and get some of that purple stuff (anyone know what it's actually called, so I don't sound like an wally, asking for "purple stuff"!!!)

I figure it can't hurt - and it would be good to have it in future.

 

 

I can only assume it was cabin fever that got to them - certainly, they are shut up quite a lot at the moment, and I haven't let them out as much as I should have really at the weekends.

Equally, their last peck-a-block ran out some time ago, and I have yet to replace it.

 

 

Well - hopefully she'll be OK, and this will just be a learning experience... not a very nice one though

 

 

Thanks for your help everyone.

[Hen Watch]

It's called Gentian Violet Spray.

 

And boy does it stain. Wear gloves and old clothes. I bought some this Friday as one chook had some blood on her vent and as bottom of the pecking order she is picked on anyway, so I rushed off to buy some from the equestrian shop.

 

My white chicken looks like she's been dipped in purple food colouring. It worked as the others havn't pecked her bloody area, and it's clearing up nicely.

 

But, I got some on my hands and had to use bleach to get rid of it.......

[Minnie the Moocher]

If you can't get Purple Spray, get Vet Spray which is colourless but apparently tastes vile. One of my girls had a wound that was being pecked at and I used Vet Spray. The perpetrator took one peck and never repeated the behaviour.

 

I'm happy to report that my pecked girl is sporting a new tail thanks to Vet Spray.

 

*tries not to sound like an advertisement*

[TheChookKeeper]

Thanks again everyone - my little girl is still looking absolutely fine (except the missing feathers), so I am hoping she'll be fine.

 

I went into the local shop yesterday, and it was a pretty poor show really - they didn't have anything vaguely useful... they had something which was supposed to stop pecking... but you couldn't spray it on wounds... which wasn't much use.

 

So, I ordered the gentian stuff from Flytes of Fancy, which should arrive tomorrow. Not ideal, and I'm aware it is probably a bit of a waste of time now... but it'll make me feel better!!!

Always good to have in stock just in case for the future too methinks.

[Minnie the Moocher]

Yes, good to have as a standby.

 

Mine lives in the chook house ready for action!

[telechookies]

Hi ChookKeeper,

 

My chicken has exactly the same symptoms as your one had; bare back and bloody.

 

Did you find out it was just boredom, or mites or other cause?

 

How long did it take to heal up and feather to re-grow?

 

I have ordered the purple spray. Hopefully will arrive soon, I bought some anti-pek spray so fingers crossed that this will stop any further pecking, did you use anything else?

 

I also ordered a peka-block how long does one of them last? I bought a seed bell for hung it up last night as they went to bed and when i went to check on them this morning it was finished already!

[TheChookKeeper]

Sorry to hear that

 

"Penny the Pecked" underwent a significantly more brutal attack than I first thought actually, and when I could finally get a proper look at it, it turned out she had a section of her back leg bone about 2" square completely exposed, along with a significant portion of internal "bits" around it. It was horific.

 

I seperated her as much as possible, and with the nicer weather, they have been out in the garden every day (more or less).

 

She went to see the vet a couple of weeks ago, and he was pleased with her healing, and certainly, being out and about seems to have done her the world of good - it is healing fantastically well - she is still pecked every now and then, but nothing too nasty, and now they are outside, she can run away with ease.

 

I have put down all the problems to boredom - as I say, being outside daily has all but stopped the nastiness.

 

I had one of those peck-a-blocks once, when I went on holiday for a week, it lasted about 3 weeks I would say - much longer than I expected. They seemed to quite enjoy it. I've had trouble getting another one.

 

"Penny the Pecked" is still looking pretty ropey - she hasn't molted this year yet, and hasn't laid an egg for months (bless her! Can hardly blame her!), but over the last week or two, feather growth has been seen all over her, and I think they are coming back - so hopefully she'll be back in fine shape by mid-summer!

 

That said - another chicken, who just had a patch on her back pecked, recovered MUCH quicker, and it is barely noticeable anything happened now - I would say it has taken her about 1 month to look presentable again - it still isn't perfect, but she at least as a covering of small feathers now.

 

 

Right - I'll go again now - enough rambling from me! Sorry to go on! (and on, and on etc.!)

[TheChookKeeper]

oh, and I used just the purple spray stuff - ended up using it about 3-4 times on her...

 

I won't be without it again!

[telechookies]

Thanks for reply, I do think its onlyher back, picked her up early to spray with anti-pek, will have a look tomorrow for any further damage.

 

Hoping, this is just a one off...