Hello All,
You may remember that a few weeks back I had an injured chicken (3 month old RIR) that I think was somehow grabbed by something sticking it's hand/paw/whatever inside the chicken wire and then pecked by the other 5 ladies.
While she is doing much better, she still is "a plucked chicken" on her head. Anyway, I put the other girls in the coop and put her alone in their run so she could stretch her wings - so to speak - as she has been "cooped" up in a large dog crate since the incident.
I just checked on her and somehow she managed to get a scratch on the top of her beak near her comb. (Almost looks like a chipped fingernail) - and of course a dot of blood. AAAAHHHHH.....she even manages to get hurt while she is alone!!
Any thoughts on this one? Just keep putting antibacterial ointment?
Thanks,
Teresa
Injured chicken - part 2
Yes, I would keep up with the ointment. I have a small Polish chicken who was pecked by the others and she lost most of her head feathers and then her head was starting to bleed. She is now separated. I am using antibacterial ointment on her head and also lanolin lotion on her skin to give relief. Her feathers are growing back and it looks much better now. I think the ointment really helps and I don't think there is much else you can put on the injury you described.
Claire
Thanks for the info. Claire....how long did it take for the feathers to come back? How do you plan to integrate back into the flock?
Thanks,
Teresa
I didn't see any new feathers coming in for about a week. Then a couple poked through, and within a few days, they were poking through everywhere. They are coming in really nicely now, so I am very pleased. In fact, there are so many, it's a bit tough to get the salve onto her skin! So, that's been about 10 days.
As for integration, I would like to put her back with some of the hens I consider to be more "gentle" than others. I am in the midst of building a new coop anyway. I think I'm going to split my flock between two coops and have the bossy girls in one coop and the gentle girls in the other. It might take some switching but I hope that when I do that, maybe in a week or two, I can also integrate the Polish chicken in at that time. What do you think - good idea? Bad idea? I'm open to suggestions! I have read that it's better to integrate in the evening at roosting time, or just after.
Claire
Wow....my girl has been "bald" for about 3 weeks now.....uh oh.....I wonder if her feathers will EVER come back. !!
I have been reading ALOT about integrating on this forum.....many people don't think night integration is good.....some say to throw something really interesting (like a few sunflower heads) to get them all "off topic" so to speak so they won't notice the new girl. I am brand new to this, so I don't have a clue....this is just what I have been reading.
Well, on the other hand, I have two light brahmas with bare backs. It was about 2 weeks after I got them that I realized they were pecking some of their own feathers (although they can't do that on their head...) but anyway, I separated them and began applying the anti-pick product from Rooster Booster and then it was another week before I began to see feathers coming through but they are coming in now. So it can probably take more or less time depending on the situation. I would be patient with it.
I shall go read some more about integrating, you make some good points! Thanks!
My chicken, Lacey, had her tail feathers plucked by her previous flock. It took about 2-3 weeks before I started to see the feathers coming. Its been at least 5 weeks now since we got rid of the trouble maker and her new tail feathers are just now starting to be long enough that I can see them peaking out when she bends over.
It takes quite awhile. You may also think about some supplements for her while she's trying to grow new feathers. Others with more experience may have more information on this, but I started giving Lacey cooked egg for a little extra protein.
Thanks, I have tried cooked egg.....she liked it better than raw (not at all interested in that)....I just picked up some cottage cheese....someone had mentioned that before.....and I've also given her some canned dog/cat food, which she liked. I think she is a bit of a picky eater.....
Unfortunately, ALL the other girls (well we only have 6 total - so the other 5) were involved in the "incident" in some way, so we don't know if there is one trouble maker or they all just followed suit after she got hurt.
Thanks for the ideas......I'll keep my fingers crossed that the feathers start coming in soon.....
Yup, I do cottage cheese and I mix in minced garlic (good for immunity, infection, and general health) and I also mix in oatmeal and chopped up bits of grapes or tomatoes. They all love it to bits!
I'm trying to attach a picture of her so you can get an idea what I'm dealing with.....
hope it works....
Awww...poor gal. I think the feathers may not start to grow in until the scab has cleared up. I don't know if scars from injuries can prevent feather regrowth or not. I think the blood supply in that area is probably all focused on healing the wound.
Believe it or not she looks GREAT compared to how she was.....she just re-opened that scab the other day scratching....I'll bet those scabs itch on the head.....If you look close, next to her "ear" there appears to be some possible re-growth...looks a bit like razor stubble :) I just noticed it this afternoon......
Attached you'll see our coop, her crate, my two labs and the ghost we put up to scare away whatever got her in the first place....(my husband actually put it up when he raised the roost in the run - so no one could get the girls up high - he has actually made it a bit of a trapeze inside, so we don't even really need it anymore.....we just thought it was kind of funny to leave up to scare the bad animals away!! :)
That's a great setup! I think the ghost is hilarious!
I bet you are right about the scabs itching. I would try some lotion on those. I was using this lotion called Corona lanolin-rich ointment. It would moisturize the scab area and make it more soft and less itchy as it heals, I would think.
Claire,
I'm sorry to read about your chicken with the yucky eye.....hope she is better soon.....
:)
Teresa
Here is my Polish chicken who is recovering from the head picking incident.
Side view is getting better.
And here's one of the bareback girls - slowly growing back feathers.
Here's her upper wing/shoulder area. It's less red than it was, if you can believe it!
Here's the other bareback girl.
Wow!! Thanks for sending those pictures.....now I really do believe that the "razor stubble" on the side of her head is going to be feathers. It's weird how it looks when it is coming back in.
How many chickens total do you have?
I have 14 that I got from the farm where these came from, I have 5 from another farm that came with mites, I have 2 that are clean and lovely, and then I have my poor de-beaked rescued Rosie. Plus, I have 7 bantams, 6 chicks that are 8 or 9 weeks old (chicks of one of the hens in the batch of 14) and 9 one-week old chicks that just hatched (eggs from several of the hens in the batch of 14 which I incubated). That makes....omg....44. I have about 40 hatching eggs coming by mail this week. Yikes!
JUST SAY NO!!!
Holy cow, do you have enough space for all of them????
Thanks again for the pictures.....
I'm in the middle of making two more coops, each designed to hold 10 to 12 hens. I should have a couple of months while the little ones are still indoors to make some more housing. I plan on getting rid of some of the roos. Haven't decided if we will process them ourselves or give them to a farm we know who will treat them well but eventually they will be dinner. I am having trouble coming to terms with these things. I am also hoping to put some of the hens to free range in the goat enclosure (the heavier ones who are less likely to fly over the 4-foot fence). I will make a separate shelter in there for those ones. The bantams are easier - they can deal with slightly smaller housing.
We have 8.5 acres, so we have enough space, we just need to make more shelters!
I only expect 50 to 60% hatch rate on the eggs. Incubators aren't perfect.
That is the way it happened with me. I only wanted three. Hah!
teresa83,
That is gorgeous set up you have there! Luv the ghost!
Kristin
Clair have you looked at any of the "hen saddles" they don't look very hard to make, and it seems to me that it would be soothing to have those sore backs covered and protected at least part of the day.. I know its good to have air-flow also.. but.. a little protection couldn't hurt when your not around.
I think I may dabble in hen saddles on these rainy days.. see if I can come up with a pattern I like.
i want tie dyed!
Fran - do you think I could make them out of fleece? (not from sheep, the fabric kind, like polar fleece fabric)
i think it would tear apart too eaily. ones i have seen are denima dn heavy cottons...
edited to add, you didn't ask me ;-P but fran can answer too...
This message was edited Sep 14, 2008 10:47 PM
I think that would be the easiest to make.. country quilting with fleece on one side would be cuter though LOL
you know.. I was not thinking of a chicken wearing them... tf is right... you would want a tough outter on top.. that was the point of them to begin with.. thus the name..
umm... no editing.. but... saddle... rooster... riding... at least I will not make them of leather.. LOL, but it would be cute!
But, doesn't mean they can't be soft and comfy on the underside.
oooh, how about suede!
ooowwwwuu soft!!
fauz fur?
my girls are NOT that "cheep"
mine are!
You expect a lady like Comet to wear fake junk??? She would never hear of it!
Fine Corinthian leather?
Comet needs a saddle from the BIG GRILS line...
QUIT.. she was impersonating a turkey.. shes better today.. LOL.. besides, you got something against full-figured-woman?
You got it Cat!