Blood everywhere!!!!!!!

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Pep

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Blood everywhere!!!!!!!
« on: November 13, 2011, 20:25 »
Hi all, 

As usual, I'm seeking advice again. 

Yesterday morning Hubby let the birds out and didn't notice anything unusual.  They went straight to the food bowl as per normal.

When I took them a treat in the afternoon, I noticed that one of the cocks had dark speckles on his comb and wattles and what appeared to be dried blood on his neck.  I checked for an egg or two and noticed specks of blood on the wood shavings so I opened the rear doors to see how much more there was.  I was horrified!!!  Blood splatters were everywhere; back, sides and both doors.  The ceiling and roost were something else with smears of blood virtually covering the whole lot. 

It obviously worried me and thought a fight had taken place but upon inspecting the cock (as best I could because he is quite timid where humans are concerned) he appeared to be fine.  I can't believe either that so much blood can be produced without obvious damage to the birds and, apart from that, if birds don't get on, the best time is to put them together is at night.

Thinking again this morning and keeping a close eye on their behaviour towards each other, I wondered if a mouse had wandered into the coop, been spotted by the cock and been killed.

I know we have mice on the land and that some members have said that their chooks have caught mice.  Do you think it's feasible that a mouse has been pecked and shaken so violently by a cock for there to be so much blood?

Hope someone can offer a possible explanation.

Pauline.

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joyfull

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Re: Blood everywhere!!!!!!!
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2011, 20:44 »
you say one of the cocks so I am assuming you have more than one. If this is the case they will fight until one is established as the boss. A little cut on a comb makes an awfull lot of mess and generally looks worse than it is. Make sure you have some wound powder on hand in case it happens again - cornflour will also do the job but obviously isn't medicated  :)
Staffies are softer than you think.

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Pep

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Re: Blood everywhere!!!!!!!
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2011, 20:52 »
Hi Joyfull,

Yes, I have two cocks and two hens.  They were promised to be all hens!!!!  Top cock was established weeks ago and they've lived happily ever after with not even a squabble as far as I know.  I have some antiseptic/anti-biotic spray from a previous incident.

I was just wondering if a mouse could make such a mess.

Pauline

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joyfull

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Re: Blood everywhere!!!!!!!
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2011, 20:59 »
wouldn't have though so - my chickens eat the mice not the otherway round  :lol:

Perhaps the under cockerel tried it on with one of the girls and either she or the top boy took exception to this.

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TeaPots

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Re: Blood everywhere!!!!!!!
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2011, 20:12 »
I have had a similar mess.  A small cut on a cocks comb goes a LONG way. The cock will shake his head around and blood splatters everywhere. He was fine with no intervention at all. (He was in his own run with his wives, and an escapee cockerel from his run decided to pick a fight through the wire).

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TeaPots

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Re: Blood everywhere!!!!!!!
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2011, 20:15 »
Hi Joyfull,


I was just wondering if a mouse could make such a mess.

Pauline
the chooks tend to swallow mice whole   :ohmy:  so doubt the blood was from a mouse  :tongue2:

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Pep

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Re: Blood everywhere!!!!!!!
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2011, 14:13 »
Hi TeaPots,

Thank you for your comments.  I suppose, if mice are swallowed whole, the blood must have come from one of their combs but I can't see any damage to any of them.  It will just have to remain a mystery and hope it doesn't happen again.

Pauline

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TeaPots

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Re: Blood everywhere!!!!!!!
« Reply #7 on: December 05, 2011, 21:18 »
an Update to this...there is blood all over the place in my cream legbar pen. Combs all fine, but I found the source...a very painful looking spur, where the 'quick' is there but the the hard 'nail'sort of bit that should be covering the knub of flesh is missing. It has stopped bleeding and I have used purple spray, but bless him, that must have hurt!!

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Ben_H

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Re: Blood everywhere!!!!!!!
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2011, 07:09 »
I had a similar incident yesterday where the feeders had blood smeared all over them. I traced it to a cut comb on one of the girls though no idea of the cause. I didn't use the purple spray because I was worried about spraying it close to her eyes and not been out yet this morning to see her as it's still dark.

Is there anything I should watch out for in case of further problems?

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kegs

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Re: Blood everywhere!!!!!!!
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2011, 10:15 »
I didn't use the purple spray because I was worried about spraying it close to her eyes and not been out yet this morning to see her as it's still dark.


I keep a cheap child's paintbrush with my purple spray which I dip in the bottle and dab it onto the chicken that way it's much easier to control if they have a cut near their eyes.

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ANHBUC

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Re: Blood everywhere!!!!!!!
« Reply #10 on: December 06, 2011, 16:46 »
I had a similar incident yesterday where the feeders had blood smeared all over them. I traced it to a cut comb on one of the girls though no idea of the cause. I didn't use the purple spray because I was worried about spraying it close to her eyes and not been out yet this morning to see her as it's still dark.

Is there anything I should watch out for in case of further problems?

I had the same last week, just a bit of pecking order fighting but very messy.  It cleared up after a day without any intervention.
Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens!
Bagpuss RIP 1992 - June 2012, 1 huge grass carp (RIP "Jaws" July 2001 - December 2011), 4 golden orfe, 1 goldfish and 1 fantail fish (also huge)! plus 4 Italian quail, 1 Japanese quail, 1 Rosetta quail.



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