Open wound from feather picking

[Kug440]

Hi everyone. New to the site but have been keeping backyard chickens for about a year. I have eight layers of various breeds in our coop. This week, it seems that all the girls have started feather picking one of my eater egg chickens. At the base of her back right where her tail starts. I noticed it the other day and put some anti-peck salve on her tail and up until last evening they seemed to be leaving her alone but this morning there is an open wound now and obviously the feathers are gone. The spot is about as big as a dime. We removed her and placed her in our triage pen in the garage. Heading to the tractor supply to grab some supplies to clean it and treat it but definitely interested in people's experience on how best to get her well again and then what to do with the problem overal and ideas about why now all the sudden?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi everyone. New to the site but have been keeping backyard chickens for about a year. I have eight layers of various breeds in our coop. This week, it seems that all the girls have started feather picking one of my eater egg chickens. At the base of her back right where her tail starts. I noticed it the other day and put some anti-peck salve on her tail and up until last evening they seemed to be leaving her alone but this morning there is an open wound now and obviously the feathers are gone. The spot is about as big as a dime. We removed her and placed her in our triage pen in the garage. Heading to the tractor supply to grab some supplies to clean it and treat it but definitely interested in people's experience on how best to get her well again and then what to do with the problem overal and ideas about why now all the sudden?

Welcome to BYC.

Can you post some photos of your hen and your coop/run setup?
How much space do they have (sq.ft)?
What type of foods/treats do you feed?

For a wound you can clean it with saline, betadine or warm soapy water - if it is small, just wash it off a bit. Apply some Blu-Kote, triple antibiotic ointment or Vetericyn.

What we need to determine is why all of a sudden she is being picked on. Some reasons for feather picking would be not enough protein in the diet, boredom - not enough space or keeping chickens "cooped up", a chicken that is weak or ill is susceptible for being picked on as well. Check her over for any signs of lice/mites and while you have her separated monitor her for any signs of illness (lethargy, not eating/drinking, etc.).

 

[Kug440]

Don't have pictures of mine handy and I'm on the road but it's a 6x8 with five nesting boxes and two eight foot perches. They have access to a run as well. Its 10x10. I will check her for mites when we get back to the house. She was eating when we left. They also have little treat holders In the run to peck at when they get bored and we occasionally toss in some live mealworms for them to stalk and snack on

 

[Kug440]

Sorry. I forgot about the feed question. We feed dumor layer crumbles with added calcium, small rocks and some five grain scratch occasionally.

 

[Kug440]

Ok, no worries I have two more with the same iwounds in the exact same spot! The one though I am sure she was doing most of the damage herself because I saw her doing it but thought she was preening.....

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ok, no worries I have two more with the same iwounds in the exact same spot! The one though I am sure she was doing most of the damage herself because I saw her doing it but thought she was preening.....

Can you post some photos of the wounds?

If she is picking/plucking at her own feathers and causing a wound, then check her over for any signs of mites/lice.

 

[Kug440]

Not my actual chickens as we are not home but this is exactly what all three of them have and in the exact same spot. Two of them are. Lack and I checked them for mites and didn't see anything. I checked my barred but obviously with her feather coloring it would be hard to see but again I saw. Irving.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Apply some Blu-Kote and observe them closely. See if one hen is picking at the others or if they are actually doing this to themselves.

 

[Kug440]

Thank you. I put blukote on this morning and separated them all into the triage pen in the garage. I know one did it to herself but maybe the other two did and the rest of the chickens were fussing it because she started it first?