Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: sneezer on January 22, 2013, 17:07
-
Hello to all I hope someone can help I have 2 hens and they usually are really good together no fighting etc, they have a large area to roam, but because of the recent snow I think the top hen has become bored, I have cleared lots of areas for them to go, about 5 days ago top hen pecked the other one and made her bleed around her vent and pulled some feathers, so put anti pec spray on her and she was left alone and she started to heal, however today she has really gone for her around the vent tearing skin off, I have put wound powder on her and she is now asleep in a box in the living room, she was clearly traumatised and would only eat a few meal worms, now what is the next step should I leave her in the box tomorrow, I don't know whether to keep her in the dark and quiet, the thing is I have to leave for work 6.30 am so I wont be able to tell if she is awake and ready to move or not, she certainly isn't going back in with the other til she is healed.
Any ideas or thoughts would be great thank you :(
-
Do you have or can you borrow a rabbit hutch or something similar? If she has somewhere secure and quiet with access to food and water that would be best.
Make sure she doesn't overheat indoors, she doesn't need a central heated room.
Could it be that she has had a prolapse and that is what has attracted the other hen to attack her?
Layers pellets with boiled water and cooled might be easier for her to eat. I also use pureed, carrot, apple, garlic, a little honey and water which is good for getting their appetite back.
Good luck. :)
-
Thankyou for the reply I don't have central heating so my living room isn't too warm, I thought prolapse when it first happened but when I checked her over I was on the phone to the vet and I couldn't detect anything unusual, I can't see now though because her vent is too blooming and swollen, great idea for the food I'll make some up for her before I go to work, i have a back porch area I'll let her have access to that.
I have also just bought some beak bits so hopefully they won't take too long arriving.
-
Ouch, that sounds sore. Bathing with preboiled water before treatment should help. You could try a prolapse treatment to see if it helps with the swelling. I have read you can use sugar for hens and humans. :blush:
-
It sounds as though you have but have you checked for lice? The vent is an area where they are found. Bathing in boiled water is good but add a little salt as well. :)
-
Awww poor thing. This happend to one of my hens wen she was going through a mault. She lost lots of the feathers by her vent and as the new ones came through the other hens attacked her back end. I bathed with boiled and salt water and then purple spray. I then hung a pecking block and added some other bits and bobs to the run to keep all the hens busy. I also read somewhere that hens have oil glands by their vent and this can also atract the other hens if there is a deficiency in their diet. Dont know how true this is maybe someone will correct me. Goodluck hope they all make friends again :)
-
Well she is still here, I kept her in a back porch with lots of different foods, she has had a little food. her vent is very swollen and black looking I guess its dried blood and bruising I will bathe her later when I have help, she is now in the coop trying to lay so will have to see what happens, I will try the prolapse treatment.
She was funny with the pureed mix you suggested ANHBUC she put it in her beak then shook her head and tiny pieces of orange puree were sprayed everywhere!honestly sometimes they think you are trying to poison them.
I have checked for lice as she had a small area which was bald, but nothing.
thankyou all so much for your tips with bathing etc, I hope they can be civil again i can't believe this is happening with them they have been together for 1 1/2 years and most of the time they are side by side pecking and scratching dust bathing, i just hope we can get through this. :)
-
I hope she is a lot better tomorrow. Sorry she didn't like the drink, mine did but only had small amounts. Add a little more water just in case it was a little too strong. ;)
-
Well she spent most of the day in the coop, when she came out she was slower than normal but has a red comb and can eat and drink, I'm not sure whats happening now but she has a discharge which looks like cream coloured paint dribbling from the vent, its not the texture of egg and as she laid yesterday I don't think there is a broken one, it also smells, so does the vent have a natural lubrication and hers is working overtime to keep the vent open?or is this an infection?
-
It could be infection :( The fact it is a smelly discharge is not good and she may need an anti-biotic injection. I would say a visit to the vet would be best just to make sure even if she does appear to have perked up.
If she has medical problems, that could be why your other hen attacked her. They are ruthless and drive away weak members of the flock to protect themselves.
I have a unwell cockerel at the moment I am trying to nurse back to health, so I know how you feel. Its horrible when they get ill :(
-
I may be wrong but a creamy coloured & smelly discharge from the vent sounds like it could be vent gleet which is fungal infection. I agree that a trip to the vet would definately be the best.
Hope she gets better.
-
you are right new shoot it is horrid when they are ill, maybe she had this discharge the other day and thats why she got attacked, helens hens I hope you are right and its vent gleet that would be easier to clear up, but I think you are both right a trip to the vets for us. thank you its so good to have people to help and advise ,also that you are not the only one going through things like this. :)
-
Fingers crossed the vet can sort her out for you :) Let us kow how you get on :)
-
Well back from the vet and he doesn't think it is vent gleet, and to be fair she didn't smell as bad today as yesterday, he cleaned the inside of her vent out as she had some solid white stuff in there, and i have some iodine to make up and clean inside her vent 2 times a day, the white stuff is mainly coming from where her top lip of the vent is torn so thats why he thinks its more of an infection rather than vent gleet. She is a little more perky today but still very fussy about what she wants to eat. :)
-
Awww glad she seems a bit perkier today :)
-
That is good news from the vet. :)
-
Good news :) Thank you for letting us know and hope she goes from strength to strength now :)
-
Hi just an update, I had a good look at Rosas vent today (as I had another person to help) and it is clear, she still has some white stuff coming out but its not sticking and definately not as much, her wound is healing nicely and she is acting like her old self, however i think there is a little nerve damage to her legs as she now strutts sometimes, a bit like a cockerel, but she can run and even scratching but only for a little while.
But she has now started to moult as there is lots of feathers in her temporary run, this will be her first moult, so I will now add some poultry spice to her food.
If the white stuff has ceased by the weekend I will try them together, they can see each other at the moment and even preen together on opposite sides of the wire!
Thanks again for all your concerns and help, I now think she will be fine :D
-
Aww thats great news :)
-
So pleased that she is making a good recovery sneezer. They do keep us on our toes. ::)