Help - advice needed with bullied and/or sick chicken

The Ramblers · « **on:** September 21, 2007, 20:48 »

We are novice chicken owners (just 3 weeks). We purchased 3 chickens and housed them together at the same time.They are approx 4 months old and we bought them at point of lay.

4 or 5 days ago, we noticed that one of the chickens was being pecked on the bum by the others. She was bleeding & there was blood traces in the hutch. We observed for a day & thought that she was just being bullied as she was staying in the hutch away from the other 2 - so we have seperated them to allow her to heal..... ?

Tonight we have tried her back with the other 2 and she was again, pecked within a few minutes. She has not eaten & is considerably smaller than the others in just a few days. Additionaly, she has not laid since seperation.

It has been suggested that the coup/run may not be big enough & we intend to rectify this at the weekend, but would appreciate any other advice.

Do we need to get her to a vet - as we would with any other animal?

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #1 on:** September 21, 2007, 20:59 »

Welcome to the forums Ramblers

You have done the right thing by separating the pecked bird from the others but make sure they can still all see each other.

Treat the wounds of the pecked hen with antiseptic spray, I use purple spray (available at horsey shops). It is antiseptic and camouflaging. When the hen has healed you can reintroduce here carefully.

It may be that she had a slight tear when she laid an egg which would then have attracted the other hens to peck her.

mercury · « **Reply #2 on:** September 21, 2007, 21:01 »

Try and get some stokholm tar from your feed merchant, and put a liberal amount on the wound, you keep refering to the hutch, they need more than a hutch, this could be the cause of it, by the way where in the country are you

mercury · « **Reply #3 on:** September 21, 2007, 21:03 »

You just beat me to it aunt sally

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #4 on:** September 21, 2007, 21:10 »

Quote from: "mercury"

you keep refering to the hutch, they need more than a hutch, this could be the cause of it

Good point mercury ! How much space do they have Ramblers ?

The Ramblers · « **Reply #5 on:** September 21, 2007, 21:15 »

Wow so quick..... Thankyou all so very much.

I'll try and answer all the points ... in case any other advice is available

Yes indeed they can all see each other - seperated by chicken wire. I've called their home's a hutch because I couldnt remember the word coup!, they also have a small enclosure where they can wander freely & are often allowed free roam of an 80ft garden - (albeit being chased by our 2year old!)

We are planning on extending their run/enclosure at the weekend as we know it was a quick solution in the excitement of knowing there was POL available in the area.

We're in Bucks England

How long do we worry about the starvation for .....

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #6 on:** September 21, 2007, 21:20 »

Mercury, with the Stockholm tar you mentioned, does it stop the others from continuing to peck? I use the purple spray that Aunt Sally mentioned on the chicks that get tail pecked, but if there are several together, they still peck each other, even with the purple spray!

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #7 on:** September 21, 2007, 21:24 »

As long as she has food and water available and some shelter and a place to sleep she should be OK. But if she is not eating or drinking there must be an underlying condition possibly an infection.

I've just reread your first post. If she has not eaten and more importantly not dunk fro 4-5 days then you need to get some water into her immediately. If she wont take it from a drinker or dish you need to put it into her beak and hold her head up so that she swallows.

Check her temperature feel under her wing near the joint with the body. If she is warm (compare it with your other birds) then she has an infection which will need a trip to the vets for some antibiotics.

muntjac · « **Reply #8 on:** September 21, 2007, 22:37 »

she also may be younger than the other hens and she will be last in the pecking order and they may be stomping on her to make sure she knows it .follow the other suggestions.make sure they have something in the coop such as corn on the cob hanging up to take thier minds offen bulllying etc .hang lettuces up any treat feeds will do it

The Ramblers · « **Reply #9 on:** September 22, 2007, 08:11 »

Thankyou all so much for your help.
We did wonder about their pecking order. One chicken made it VERY clear who was boss within a few hours - needless to say, it isnt the sick one.

She is currently wandering about the garden freely & from a distance it looks like she's grubbing around for tasty morsels, which is a good sign.

All advice very much appreciated - no doubt we'll converse again!

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