[kopperdrake]

 I noticed dried blood on the perch this morning during my weekly clean, and kept an eye on feet but saw nothing. Tonight Aggy was perched on the coop threshold, bum into the coop and face out of the coop. When I picked her up to place her on a perch I noticed blood on my hand and it seems to be coming from a new feather folicle - as ex-bats they've a lot of new growth happening at the moment, lots of 1cm long feather stumps coming through. There's usually a scuffle on an evening at bedtime from within the coop as they sort their orders out, do you think this may have been an accident? There was pecking in the first week but I don't see much at all now, three weeks after getting them, and the raw pecks on the combs of the three under-chickens are healing over.

Any advice on treating this bleeding? We brought her into the kitchen and cleaned it with salted water, but do I dress it? I read somewhere that if it's a blood feather and it's damaged then I may need to pull it with pliers to help the folicle heal itself - any more advice on this? She doesn't seem in pain, but then I also heard that chickens hide injury quite well.

Cheers!

[Foxy]

Hi kopperdrake, a little purple spray will be fine, the blood will attract the nasty habit of feather pecking, as blood filled quills are quite appetising!
Pop a little poultry spice in their feed to ensure they are getting enough protein, perhaps a little kitten food once or twice a week this will help suppress the urge to feather peck as well.
Purple spray disguises the colour of blood so as well as keeping the area clean (contains chlorohexidine) will help deter pecking.

[mrs.ploppy]

Agree with that.  Just a few days of purple spray and that will also help to dry up the end.  No need to worry too much.

[raeburg]

Be careful with the purple spray as I had to explain why I had bright purple hands at work.

[kopperdrake]

Thanks for that guys Overnight the bleeding seems to have stopped, but I'll get some purple spray this week in case it reappears. I haven't any poultry spice either - no one has mentioned that though I've seen it on the shelf at the local feed supplier so I'll pop some of that in the food too