Raw bleading butts

[CBK]

I noticed my 8 month old hen had blood on her feet and then noticed that her bottom was featherless, was bloody and raw! This area is about 2 1/2” around.

Her vent is perfectly healthy and clean. And she is able to poop and lay eggs. She does not show any other signs of sickness.

I gave her an Epsom salt bath, cleaned the area, used an antibacterial chicken spray and put coconut oil on the area.

I kept her in the house last night and this morning the area looked much better but still raw in the middle.

Today I have pressed vinegar water on the wound, sprayed with the antibacterial spray and applied coconut oil with a drop of oregano oil in it.

I have searched for information about what is causing this. And have decided it must be one of the other hens attacking her. Today I checked all my chickens and found another one, not as far along, she still has her downey butt feathers but her sore is about 1” around.

Now both hens are in the shower and I am treating them three times a day to a vinegar water rinse, and coconut oil.

What do you all think?

 

[nuthatched]

Just use the chicken spray and not the vinegar/oil mixture.
They are either being picked by the others eaten by rats.
If it's another chicken:
How big is their pen and coop?
How many birds?
What do you feed, specifically, including treats?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That is a prime spot for feather picking to start, which can quickly turn into cannibalism once the blood starts to flow. I would observe you flock to see if you can see which are doing it, and I would remove them permanently. Picking often is from a protein deficiency, or from birds being crowded and bored. People have had success with using pinless peepers, but it's important to figure out why it's happening and correct it so it doesn't continue.

I would treat that with a wound spray. Chickens are good at healing.

 

[Noraaaaa]

she could have a vent prolapse. i haven't had this happen before, but if something small happened its a normal spot for chickens to start getting pecked.

 

[Eggcessive]

That is from pecking. Stop the vinegar, since it will irritate skin. Use some wound spray (Vetericyn) or saline, or Neosporin ointment twice a day. Vent pecking can lead to cannibalism, and they can actually peck her to death and pull out her intestines. Make sure they are eating a balanced chicken feed as 90% of their diet. If they are overcrowded, make more room. Boredom is another possible reason, and getting out to free range can help. Watch to see who is the bully. Pinless peepers can be used on the bully. Here is some reading about them:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pros-and-cons-of-pinless-peepers.1629317/

 

[CBK]

Just use the chicken spray and not the vinegar/oil mixture.
They are either being picked by the others eaten by rats.
If it's another chicken:
How big is their pen and coop?
How many birds?
What do you feed, specifically, including treats?

I just have 6 hens. They were all purchased as chicks. We have a very nice coop and run and I let them free range almost every day

 

[nuthatched]

I just have 6 hens. They were all purchased as chicks. We have a very nice coop and run and I let them free range almost every day

How big is the coop?
Do you feed them at all? If you aren't, they are picking each other because they're starving.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sometimes you can increase their protein level to 20% with a flock raiser type feed if they are on layer feed. Just make sure they have crushed oyster shell available for extra calcium.

 

[CBK]

How big is the coop?
Do you feed them at all? If you aren't, they are picking each other because they're starving.

I have a luxurious coop and large run! I let them free range while I clean their coop daily for an hour or so. I feed them a layer feed with extra protein. This happened while we were out of town for 5 days, so maybe one of the hens started pecking out of boredom. I have noticed one hen can be mean. I have those red blinders, I will put them on the hen in question.

Their wounds have scabbed over now. I am thinking of putting them back in the run but separated from the others. I live in Utah, do you think it will be okay to put them out

 

[Eggcessive]

Keeping them familiar with the other chickens is very important, so that you don’t have to go through pecking order problems and reintegration. You can have supervised free ranging or visits daily, and also they can be in a wire dog crate with the others, protected from pecking. I have also made pens inside the coop for protection, and used plastic chicken netting to separate bullied or new chickens. There is a wound spray called Alushield, Aluspray, or Silver Spray online that is a silver color, and can be sprayed on wounds to hide them and prevent pecking. Here is one place to get it:
https://www.amazon.com/AluSpray-Aerosol-Bandage-Antibacterial-First/dp/B01NBLLTS4