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This might not apply to chickens but we noticed blood on our cockatiel a few months back and when we checked her over it turned out she had broken a blood feather. They can bleed quite a lot and can be a bit dangerous. Luckily in her case the bleeding had already stopped. Was just a bit of dried blood on her.

Could it be that?? Have they been moulting recently cos thats when you normally get the new blood feathers.

I've only notived one feather in the hen house, so I guess they're only moulting lightly.
Glad your bird is okay.
Thanks for you comment.

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or eating the feathers....

Could it possibly have been an engorged tick? We had one on one of our aviary birds once If they fall off the hens would have pecked at it or possibly stood on it, causing it to pop. They then look a bit pulpy - yuk!

Is that bad? Doesn't sound to good.. What time of year do they moult?

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Thanks, but it looked to much blood to have come from a tick. And maybe, with them being ticks, I might of found more?

Thanks,
Little Missy.

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Feather eating can lead to pecking of quills and canabalism so not its not good, but very often during a moult which should take place at the end of the summer or early autumn they might eat the dropped feathers as they are exactly what they need to make new ones.

Okay, thanks. Very helpful.

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