Nacktschnecken omlet Cube

[newcountrygirl]

As an earlier post explained - my little Polish Frizzle girlie has been in the wars. I went out to them a couple of days ago and noticed something with her wing that wasnt there earlier. When I investigated I was horrified to find that both wings roughly where the wing joins the shoulder were raw and bleeding.

I bought her in and bathed them and put on gentian violet. She is eating fine but I felt really sorry for her. At the time the others werent pecking her or anything. I went out this morning to check her and noticed some fresh blood. I bought her in and bathed her and put on more gentian violet. Yesterday I treated the whole lot with Columbine spray and cleaned out and sprayed the hen house too. I put her back in the run then hid behind a bush and watched. One of my Wyandottes kept sidling up to her and giving her a peck on the wing.

 

I have segregated he by putting her in a dog crate in the run with some bedding and food and water and a branch to perch on but it has really upset me. I cant understand why it would peck her cos up to that point this morning she just had two bright purple patches which I thought were to help stop her being pecked.

 

I had just found a lovely polish frizzle cockerel and was going to pick him up at the weekend but i have put it on hold cos i didnt want the stress of dealing with any argy bargy amongst them til he settled in.

[Chortle Chook]

I think, from what I've read, that it is really the pecking culprit i.e. the Wyandotte who needs to be segregated for a wee while as that would bring her down in the pecking order. By segregating your Pollish Frizzle you are making her lower still and so more than ever vulnerable to being bullied

 

What actually could have happened is that because frizzle feathers are a bit more brittle than normal feathers, she might have lost a few naturally and then the Wyandotte took advantage

 

It is a good idea to put your boy on hold till your poor girly is fully mended because a cockerel treading her could make those patches worse.

 

By the way, I have a Polish Frizzle too - a lovely black girl who is so very friendly and lays good eggs

[suebee]

How worrying... And what a shame that you're having to put on hold, the arrival of your new cockerel. I agree with Shabby Chic, regarding the separation though. The culprit would be better in solitary, than the victim, for the reasons SC said. The culprit needs to be taken down a pecking order peg or two.

 

Good luck with this. Hopefully, peace will resume, and your cockerel will eventually join them, (who in turn, should help to prevent nastiness building up in future)

[newcountrygirl]

Thanks Shabbychic. I went out and sneakily watched them and saw the Wyandotte giving her a peck but - I put the Polish girlie into a dog crate and put her in the run so she could be seen but not got at. When i went out a while later she had blood streaming from one wing. I wonder if she has been pecking herself. When I checked her yesterday the areas had scabbed over nicely but i wonder if it is irritating her and she then pecks. I think the other hen might just have been jumping on the bandwagon. I have move the crate out of the run for the night and put it in the garage with a heat lamp above cos it gets very cold in there. We ended up bathing the affected areas again, putting a dressing on and then bandaging her up. I dont know if this will be successful or if we may eventually lose her. I am sad cos she is a lovely girl.

Suebee - i think I might let the wings heal (if they will) and keep her in the run but in a crate so they can see her etc. Up to now they have all lived happily together - they were all introduced as chicks.

[suebee]

Let us know how she goes on.

[newcountrygirl]

will do. Thanks

[Chortle Chook]

How is she? The only trouble with the bandage is that air needs to get to the wound to enable the healing (scab to get hard etc.) An idea I've just had - is could you use the tube inside a loo roll to pop over your chicken's head so she can't turn round and peck at her shoulder? I have something like this that I use for the dogs. Usually you get a lamp shade style cone for dogs but my vet has given me a sort of tube that just keeps my dog's head looking straight ahead.

[newcountrygirl]

That might be an idea to try. Thanks. I went out this morning with trepidation went in the garage and she was snuggled down. Took her back to the run. As soon as she heard the others she perked up and started eating. She seems ok at the moment. I am going to leave the bandage for at least another day or so - she isnt fazed by it. It is a crepe stretchy bandage so hopefully some air can get in.