Hens' butts being eaten out - One dead - HELP

[joebryant]

My doctor's wife called tonight about her 18-week-old chicks that I incubated for her. She found a dead hen in her coop today when she got home. It's butt was eaten away, and the other hens were eating on it. Three other hens' butts are partially eaten; she has those three in her garage for tonight; she's afraid that they too are going to die because of the severity of their butt wounds. She put the roosters in the run for the night, away from the other hens in the coop because a neighbor told her that roosters peck on hens' rear ends. She said the hens are pecking on each other's rear (?); yeah, that confused me too. I told her of a vet to call tomorrow and to help prevent infection temporarily, to put some Neosporin on the three hens in the garage. I'm going over to look at them in the morning, but I don't have a clue... Anyone ever heard of this or anything similar? Any ideas of what could be causing it?

EDIT: BTW, they are in an 8- X 12-foot coop with a run where they can go outside during the day.

 

[chickenzoo]

I have had one or two hens of different breeds that would just attack and kill other hens, especially in small quarters. If she free ranged she was fine, but put her with others she would eat them like you described. She needs to find the one to blame and seperate her. Also make sure they have more room and more things to do and eat to curb boredom.

 

[PoultryPedia]

Be sure there are obstacles the chickens can run around or hop onto to get away from each other both in the coop and in the run. Sacks of shavings, trash cans, chairs, wood-framed windows placed on the floor with one edge nailed to a wall, etc. can be good. It's also good if there are places in the coop that are kind of cluttered and shady so chickens can hang out and hide out there. However, MAKE SURE NO PLACES ARE CREATED WHERE A CHICKEN CAN GET CORNERED WITHOUT AN ESCAPE ROUTE or where obstacles will trip it up or make it difficult to quickly get away!

Also, you can try sprinkling greens or scratch for them to keep them busy spending the day searching the food out. Or fresh vegetables or fruit such as cabbage or apples that the chickens have to vigorously peck at a while to eat.

Check to make sure the chickens are getting enough protein in their diet. I'd recommend at least 18% layer mash while this problem is going on, and not using scratch as more than 1/10th of their diet.

Best wishes to them!

 

[ultasol]

What is she feeding? Sometimes deficiencies show up as eating feathers or flesh of other birds.

 

[joebryant]

Thanks for the above. I just got up, and am ready to go over there. Anyone else?

 

[underground chickenman]

I agree with the suggestions to look into nutrition and boredom. Increase protein by switching to a high protein (at least 18%) layer ration or a starter ration supplemented with oyster shell. Skip the scratch, but do toss in some black oil sunflower seeds instead for added protein. You can also hang a cabbage head that they will peck at all day long. Cabbage doesn't have many calories and won't dilute the protein content of feed like scratch will.

You didn't say how many are in the coop. Make sure they aren't too crowded. I wouldn't put more than 6-8 in a 8x12 coop. Some will say you could put more, but I have had problems exceeding that in my own 8x12 coop.

Good luck and report your progress.

UGCM

 

[joebryant]

Thanks, all, and you were correct. He bought layer feed instead of grower feed. They were not getting enough protein. When I got there this morning, the hens were biting others' tail feathers.

I went to TSC and got ONE bag of 20%; that's what I was feeding them before they turned 10 weeks old. I just now realized that they are 14 weeks old, not 18 weeks now. Anyway, after this bag is gone, they'll go back to the same kind of bag they were supposed to be using. I think that it was 16%, but I don't remember. I also quartered two apples, halved two heads of cabbage and a cantaloupe. I scattered LOTS of 22%-protein sunflower hearts all over the floor.

When Anne and I left, they were eating the sunflower hearts and the new feed, and they were not eating on others' rear end. They were still afraid of the cabbage-head halves, the apples, and the cantaloupe. Maybe after an hour or two they'll start on them. Hope it keeps them busy.

Thanks for the help; hopefully, they'll be okay now.

 

[cherokeecelt]

My doctor's wife called tonight about her 18-week-old chicks that I incubated for her. She found a dead hen in her coop today when she got home. It's butt was eaten away, and the other hens were eating on it. Three other hens' butts are partially eaten; she has those three in her garage for tonight; she's afraid that they too are going to die because of the severity of their butt wounds. She put the roosters in the run for the night, away from the other hens in the coop because a neighbor told her that roosters peck on hens' rear ends. She said the hens are pecking on each other's rear (?); yeah, that confused me too. I told her of a vet to call tomorrow and to help prevent infection temporarily, to put some Neosporin on the three hens in the garage. I'm going over to look at them in the morning, but I don't have a clue... Anyone ever heard of this or anything similar? Any ideas of what could be causing it?

EDIT: BTW, they are in an 8- X 12-foot coop with a run where they can go outside during the day.

most likely a possum

 

[CHlCKEN]

most likely a possum

This thread is over 10 years old

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

most likely a possum

This thread is almost 11 years old.