Help my Chicken is bleeding and I don't know what to do!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
A

Anonymous

Guest
My chicken is bleeding from the vent area, I can't tell if she has been pecked (altho this hasn't happened before and they aren't new, we've had them about 6 months and they were living together before this) or attacked by something. She was alright when I let her out this morning and now she's bleeding and it looks horrific.
I've separated her from the rest as they were fussing around the blood but she's just sitting in a corner and not moving.
I don't know of a vet who could help.
I live in Marston Moretaine, Beds, does anyone know what I should do.
Nicky
 
First thing--get hold of her , give it a thorough clean with something like Hibiscub to get all dirt etc off it . Wrinse clean , pat dry with towel then you will able to see what shes done and how bad it is . If its just a graze or similar, a quick splodge of purple or other antiseptic spray will do. If the others peck at wound you will need to isolate her. If there is a wound bleeding heavily its a matter of pressure on the bleeding point/area till it stops. If the wound is gaping open or very deep the edges need to be bought together to heal, if you cannot do this yourself by dressing/bandage or other means its off to the vet for probable sewing up ! Hope thats of some help. Ros
 
Can you use human aniseptic spray like savlon as I haven't got any of that purple stuff??
 
I've got anti peck spray?? Is that any good?? There are flies all around her now. I feel really helpless. I'm still new at this. I've found some blood in the enclosure and I think one of the others cornered her and pecked her.
 
I wouldnt use anti peck spray on wound--will be irritant. savlon/human stuff is fine ,worth finding purple spray (agricultural store,vet,good pet shop ,feed supplier) as helps cover the red/blood colour which others like to peck at! Its a case of treating wound as you would in a human or other animal--only you can look and see if its something you can cope with or if a vet is needed.If there are flies on it you will need to cover it or bring her inside or it could get maggoty . Ros
 
I've washed the area and I just can't see where there is any wound as such, I've sprayed with antiseptic too. The whole area is very sore looking and all the feathers have gone from around the vent where it used to be fluffy. I can't tell if the blood is coming from inside or from outside. I'm not entirely sure what a normal chicken vent looks like to be honest. She keeps sitting down and closing her eyes and shaking her head a bit, my little boy is getting upset that she's going to die, do you think it sounds like I should prepare him for the worst?? She gets up occasionally and walks around a bit, seems to be trying to get back in with the others bizarrely!
 
If she were mine I would keep her isolated from the others in a clean area (away from where any flies can get to her) and take her to the vets asap. Just a thought, could it be fly strike?
 
I don't think so. I let her out by six thirty and she was fine and by around half eight she was covered in blood. I think one of our other hens attacked her, I heard a funny squark when I was hanging out washing and when I looked she was injured and the other hen had blood on her head. I initially thought it was just because she was bothering about the blood but thinking about it I think she cornered her and pecked her. We've had some soft shells recently so wondering if perhaps it was still attched and that's what the others were after. I've brought her into the house now and she's in box with some straw, food and water. I've checked on her a few times but I'm trying to leave her in peace. Keeping fingers crossed she's a bit better tomorrow or I'll have to try and find a chook friendly vet!
 
After a quiet night in a cosy box in our downstairs loo she seems to have picked up a little! She's eaten a very small amount and is pecking around the garden. I daren't put her back in with the others yet. She's still very quiet and staying put in one corner most of the time but definitely an improvement on yesterday. There seems to be a bit of poo accumulating on her vent as it's still very sore and swollen, do you think I should wash it off again? I don't want to aggravate the injury but don't want any flies near her.
How do I go about reintroducing her to the others? They can see her all the time as they have a fenced off portion of the garden but I think it would finish her off if they pecked her again.
 
Glad to hear she's perked up today - to stop poo collecting around the vent put a good quantity of vaseline under the vent the poo wont stick then -
 
You do need to keep the area very clean though, the last thing you want is an infection or fly strike. Just sit her in a bowl of warm water and soak it off and dry her gently afterwards. That way you won't hurt her or make things worse.
 
Unfortunately she seems to have an egg stuck now, maybe from the shock. I've read in my book that you should just keep them warm until it passes but is there anything else that I can do? She's been hunched and straining since around 5pm this evening.
 
Sounds like a soft egg if she is having trouble. Pop her in a sink of warm water for around 15 -20mns this may help her pass the egg. Then pop her in a dark warm area, if you have a hot water bottle pop that underneath. Half a human dispersible calcium tablet in a small drinker will help too.
 
She's still struggling to pass the egg. Should I keep her inside in her box or let her in the garden? Will try the sink of water.
 
I'm thinking that maybe she wasn't egg bound at all as nothing has passed and she's stopped the straining she was doing. She hasn't laid for at least 4 days though. She seems to be pooing normally although the vent is very bruised and scabby. She's getting a bit less willing for me to handle her so I guess this is a good thing. Wondering when to put her back with the others?? She's been free ranging all day and visible to the others and sleeping in a box inside our house at night. I've sprayed her with violet but her vent and surrounding area is very bald. Should I let the others free range with her and see how it goes or put her back in with them??
 
I wouldn't put her back with them yet, not unsupervised. She could free range with them, but then keep her away from them when you can't supervise, at least until she's completely healed. Otherwise the whole situation could be made much worse.
 
Have let her free range all weekend with the others and they are taking no notice at all. She's been into the pen and poked around with the gate wide open but I've been taking her in again at night. She's straining again for this elusive egg. I've tried the warm quiet with a hot water bottle and the bath in the warm water but nothing is helping. She's eating ok and seems to be passing poo normally. I've put a bit of KY around the vent but was a bit nervous and wasn't sure how much and how far in to go so may have been a bit useless. What happens if she never passes this egg? Is there anything else I should do?
 
I bathed her again last night in warm water and did a hot water bottle for her box. She's free ranging all day in the garden and I let the others with her for some of that time, they seem to just ignore her although I'm wary about being complacent!! She still seems to be straining and hunching her back but I had a feel around when she was in the sink and I can't feel an egg at all (altho not sure what I'm feeling for to be honest!) She will occasionally just sit and hunch with her eyes closed and she sometimes has a kind of flick thing she does with her head (like a tick?) I get all worried she's going to die and then she gets up and acts all normal again. Her vent looks like it's healing well but the violet is hiding most of it even after her bath! Who knows! Taking each day as it comes!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top