[Amy6]

Hi all wonder if you have any advice....

Just gone to see the ladies and give them a clear out and one of them has had some of the feathers literally snapped of her back in a patch! There's blood there too!
Not sure how this has happened but I'm assuming it was one of the others...

Is there anything I can do to prevent this? and is there anything I can do to treat the sore area with?

Many thanks

Amy

[helens-hens]

Hi Amy. I'm quite new to hen keeping but hope I can help. If there are signs of blood do you have, or can you get hold of, some Gentian Violet spray? If the other hens see the red blood they may well try to peck her again but the spray  is purple and will deter them. Assuming she has stopped bleeding you will need to clean the wound and keep an eye on her. If they keep attacking her you may need to separate her. Hope this helps - I'm sure somebody v.knowledgable will be along soon.

[Amy6]

Thanks Helen
 I shall have a look for some of that.
 They are running around the garden at the moment and not paying her any attention but I just worry about when they go in the coop..

[helens-hens]

Hi Amy. When they go to roost tonight, if your hens are anything like mine as it is dark they should all go to sleep fairly quickly. Perhaps make sure that you let them out quite promptly tomorrow morning - I have noticed that if I am ever later than expected the hens start moving around & getting noisy & generally a bit agitated so you don't want to give them an excuse to start pecking again!

I got the Gentian spray from the Domestic Fowl trust but I think it is used with other animals e.g. horses - do you have any farm srpply stores anywhere near you?