Brooding hen has chicks in nesting box

[Ailie]

I posted this on the clinic forum... I'm having a total panic, hence it being here too. Apologies for the double post.

 

I have a chicken that I have separated from the others this afternoon. She is still looking like her usual, friendly, chipper self, but whilst I was down cleaning them all out, she started having a bleed from her nose/beak. There is no obvious trauma, but a lot of blood.

 

I brought her up to the house to rest in the warm in a cat carrier, away from anything that she might peck at, hoping for a clot. The bleeding stopped, but having just checked on her again, it's started up and she's dripping.

 

I'm struggling to find any sort of conclusive information online about what this might be due to or how to stop it and I'm a bit short on ideas. I'm really hoping that someone here might be able to offer me some ideas on how to manage this. At 5.10 on a Sunday, my options are pretty limited.

 

I'm in SE London. Can anyone help?

[Egluntyne]

I'd bathe it and apply cornflour, which will staunch the bleeding. She has probably caught it on something, or had a bit of a difference of opinion with one of the other hens.

[Ailie]

I'd bathe it and apply cornflour, which will staunch the bleeding. She has probably caught it on something, or had a bit of a difference of opinion with one of the other hens.

 

Thank you. I will give this a go. It looks awful.

[Ailie]

Okay. Beak bathed, flour all over beak. It seems that she's bleeding (quite freely) from one nostril. I am now pretty sure that it's a small cut, which would suggest that someone has pecked her. Nasty girls.

 

I'm going to continue to keep her inside in a dark room overnight, hoping that she properly clots. The basement now looks like a crime scene

[Luvachicken]

Awww, I'm sorry your chicken has been hurt.

 

One day, Queenie got a real harsh peck right by her comb. I happened to be stood there when it happened and felt so sorry for her that I picked her up straight away. Then blood gushed down her beak and she licked it - silly thing. I took her indoors and applied pressure until it stopped and then put purple spray on it. This seemed to sort it.

 

I hope your chicken makes a speedy recovery. It is not nice when they get hurt is it ? How is she feeling now ?

[charly1979]

I have been told that spray plaster is good for chicken wounds, I keep meaning to keep some for emergency use. My neighbours chicken got attacked by a dog and she found it really good, 6 months on and her girls is fit healthy and laying.

 

Hope your girl has a good night and is well in the morning xx

[Ailie]

I thought about whipping out the Germolene New Skin, but it's very strong smelling and seemed like an awful thing to use on her wee nostril! Flour was far less scary!

 

This morning, she seems okay. Looking a bit drained (which is fair enough, really), but otherwise quite perky. She's back in with the other girls, so hopefully the scab will hold until she heals.

 

Thanks again. There have been many times when this forum has been such a life saver!