Flo Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 We had quite an eventful weekend, at about 7pm on Saturday we went outside to see that Lucy was bleeding from the base of her back and lots of feathers had been plucked out. On closer inspection we could see that Mabel had pecked a small hole, right down to the bone. Mabel had pecked Lucy when we first got them, but that stopped after a couple of weeksWe brought Lucy in for the night as we were really worried about her, and concerned about leaving her with Mabel, and then took her to the emergency surgery at out vets on Sunday. She had to be sedated so that she could clean her wound! She was quite agitated when we took her there, but we think that was mostly that she was looking for somewhere to lay an egg as she laid her biggest egg to date on the operating table. We picked her up today and she is fine, but now we have to give her antibiotics again (she has bumble foot in May) as well as separate them until Lucy’s wound has healed. As well as trying to stop it getting infected! Who thought that chickens could cause so much chaos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 The number of times I ended up taking chickens to the vets Hope she gets well soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 Hi Flo, Aaah, poor Lucy. I hope that she gets better really soon. You may need to fit Mabel with a Bumper Bit to prevent this happening again. One of my hens has to wear a bumper bit and I'm so pleased that I fitted her with it. http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3301 There is some info about Bumper bits on here. Let us all know how Lucy gets on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 Poor Lucy. Sounds like Mabel does need a bumper bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 I bet the vet was impressed with the egg joking aside - bumper bits do seem the way to go though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutechicky Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Poor Lucy!!! If that happened to one of my chickens I would be devastated! What a vet bill! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flo Posted August 6, 2007 Author Share Posted August 6, 2007 Just to update - we have still got the girls seperated. Lucy is just about healed now and we were thinking about getting them back together. We had them out in the garden for most of yesterday, supervised, and just as we thought they were getting along Mabel had another go at Lucy! I seperated them immediately and stuck Mabel away but it is so disheartening! I can't believe how mean Mabel is being! I can only think that it is because Lucy is not submitting to her! After 3 weeks of keeping them seperate, and bringing Lucy into the house every night we have decided to try the bumper bit on Mabel! I found Lucy in the living room this morning, she had escaped from her box, eaten all the cats food, terrified that cat so that he hid in the bath, pooed on the floor and then wandered off to explore the house! The sooner we can get them back together the better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ladylucan Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 I had never seen or heard of a bumper bit, but having a look at the piccys, looks like a lip piercing on a chicken, is that what it is roughly??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 I had never seen or heard of a bumper bit, but having a look at the piccys, looks like a lip piercing on a chicken, is that what it is roughly??? The bumper bit slips inside the beak and is held there by two prongs that fit inside the nostrils. The nostrils are made of the same hard substance as the beak so it doesnt hurt them to wear one and it does a great job of stopping feather plucking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
