BackYardChickens Forum

rmc85 · 11/03/2009 5:36 pm

This is the one hen who WILL not bow down to the roosters. She will fight with the roosters and they are scared of her.

Yesterday when I went to close up the coop (they free range) and I couldnt find one of our RIR's. I looked for a few mins and found her 2 fences over in an empty field next to our place. She seemed very worried but there were no visible injuries on her.

I got home today and I couldn't find her again. I waited a few hours to see if maybe she was off on her own looking for food, but 45 mins prior to dusk I figured I should go looking for her. I walked around for about 10 mins until I found her at the VERY back corner of our 5 acres. She was very far away from where the chickens normally wander around...in fact I've never seen any of them go back there.

Well the it looks like the roosters got her today. Her back and right wing are missing feathers but the skin is not broken. What I'm worried about is her head. The roosters pealed the skin back and its a bloody mess. I'm not really sure what to do.

I've never had an injured bird before so I dont know what to do. Cleaning the wound? quarantine her? Is she going to die?

The roosters will be kept away and killed this weekend.

EDIT TO ADD

I just went out to try to clean up the wound a bit just with water. She's a real trooper and didnt give me any problems when I cleaned it...BUT it looks a little worse now. What to do with this flap of skin hanging off?

Last edited by rmc85 (11/03/2009 6:49 pm)

alicefelldown · 11/03/2009 5:51 pm

Question: why are you planning to cull the roosters, when it seems that the hen is the problem? Not that she has to be submissive, but you said she does cause fights...

Last edited by alicefelldown (11/03/2009 5:55 pm)

WalkingWolf · 11/03/2009 5:51 pm

I have seen worse and the hens recover. Clean the wounds with a mixture of betadine and water, should look like tea. I use a spray bottle. Then use neosporin on the wounds until they scab over. Blue kote also works very well but I don't think you should get any in the eyes.

It may not be the roosters but the other hens.

Last edited by WalkingWolf (11/03/2009 5:52 pm)

rmc85 · 11/03/2009 6:19 pm

alicefelldown - She's never the one that starts it. She only fights when they are trying to get on top of her or when they try to show her they are dominate over her.

WalkingWolf - thanks for the info. I'll stop by the feed store in the morning on my way to work.

Wanda · 11/03/2009 6:19 pm

there were 2 roosters at a dairy farm I use to go to that did similiar to the dominant hen. We took the hen and placed her elsewhere but they just picked another hen to terrorize so the farmer did wind up killing them. There were actually 3 roosters (brothers) but the one stayed off by himself and he is the survivor. I think your hen will recover fine and if you are sure it is the roosters that did this, I wouldn't give them another chance, next time they may kill her.

Wanda

Wanda · 11/03/2009 6:28 pm

accidently posted twice:(

Last edited by Wanda (11/03/2009 6:30 pm)

klutzyruth · 11/03/2009 6:33 pm

Disclaimer: I don't know chickens.
That being said - are you sure that's just not an underdeveloped or late blooming rooster? That's a mighty big comb.
2 of my 5 store bought hens were roosters. One was a late , very late bloomer.

I'm sorry that the chicken was hurt, regardless. Poor kid.
Luck to it & you.
Ruth

teach1rusl · 11/03/2009 6:34 pm

Awwwwww mannnnnn...that HURTS just looking at it!!! I couldn't keep a rooster that would be THAT agressive and bent on taking a hen, whether she'd submitted or not! I hope she recovers okay....

rmc85 · 11/03/2009 6:46 pm

klutzyruth wrote:
Disclaimer: I don't know chickens.
That being said - are you sure that's just not an underdeveloped or late blooming rooster? That's a mighty big comb.
2 of my 5 store bought hens were roosters. One was a late , very late bloomer.

I'm sorry that the chicken was hurt, regardless. Poor kid.
Luck to it & you.
Ruth

Not a rooster. We've had her a few years now. She was one of the first ones we ever got.

greenfamilyfarms · 11/03/2009 6:50 pm

She should recover from that rather easily. Just keep it clean with peroxide or iodine. Since it is cooling off, you don't really have to worry about flies getting in the wound. In my opinion, I would keep her. If she wants to get nasty again, sell her, not the roosters.

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Roosters tore up the dominate hen GRAPHIC

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