I just finished my permanent coop on Tuesday with a 20 X 20 run and a 20 X 5 coop built into the barn. I only have a total of 22 chickens right now. 18 hens and 3 roos. Not a bad ratio and plenty of space for them. There should be plenty of hens to keep the roos busy.
I came out on Wednesday evening to see how the first day went in the new space and I find my lone buttercup, Lily sitting on the top of fence very despondent and bleeding. She had perfect plumage on Tuesday and now she looks a lot more like a guinea hen. She has three major wounds on her head and one ear lobe. About a half and inch of her skull was exposed on the top of her head. Sorry I don't have any pictures. I don't have a good camera. I at first thought a hawk attack, but as I watched the alpha roo I noticed that he seem to relish the new space and was terrorizing any and all hens.
Lily spent a lot of time outside the coop in the trees before the permanent structure was finished, so I think that she may not have been wary of that rooster like the other hens and he may have felt more of a need to dominate her. This would have had to be an extended attack though. There is extensive bruising on the back her neck and head. He tends to grab their combs and swing them around like a dog would if it came to the end of its leash will running.
I cleaned her up and put a bunch of neosporin on her until I could get her to the vet. I have a 24/7 emergency animal hospital 20 minutes from my house that does appointments between 7am to 7pm and they are very reasonable. They compounded antibiotic for her and put a few staples in the major wound so the skull wouldn't be exposed. She was so calm for her and in general is a very good bird. She will make it, but will have to be in all winter since now she is acclimated to the warmth in the house and Michigan winters are brutal.
The rooster is a Andalusian and is beautiful with very correct confirmation. He is about 8 months old and I was hoping to hatch some eggs using him in the spring with the Andalusian hens, but now I'm not so sure. He isn't overly aggressive to me, but my husband did have to teach him a lesson last week about attacking humans. Do you think that his aggression towards the hens will pass? I know he has to chase them to mate them, but I can't have this happen all the time. I don't have proof that it was him, but it is the only logical choice. I have him separated out from the group right now to hopefully knock down his status in the group.
I came out on Wednesday evening to see how the first day went in the new space and I find my lone buttercup, Lily sitting on the top of fence very despondent and bleeding. She had perfect plumage on Tuesday and now she looks a lot more like a guinea hen. She has three major wounds on her head and one ear lobe. About a half and inch of her skull was exposed on the top of her head. Sorry I don't have any pictures. I don't have a good camera. I at first thought a hawk attack, but as I watched the alpha roo I noticed that he seem to relish the new space and was terrorizing any and all hens.
Lily spent a lot of time outside the coop in the trees before the permanent structure was finished, so I think that she may not have been wary of that rooster like the other hens and he may have felt more of a need to dominate her. This would have had to be an extended attack though. There is extensive bruising on the back her neck and head. He tends to grab their combs and swing them around like a dog would if it came to the end of its leash will running.
I cleaned her up and put a bunch of neosporin on her until I could get her to the vet. I have a 24/7 emergency animal hospital 20 minutes from my house that does appointments between 7am to 7pm and they are very reasonable. They compounded antibiotic for her and put a few staples in the major wound so the skull wouldn't be exposed. She was so calm for her and in general is a very good bird. She will make it, but will have to be in all winter since now she is acclimated to the warmth in the house and Michigan winters are brutal.
The rooster is a Andalusian and is beautiful with very correct confirmation. He is about 8 months old and I was hoping to hatch some eggs using him in the spring with the Andalusian hens, but now I'm not so sure. He isn't overly aggressive to me, but my husband did have to teach him a lesson last week about attacking humans. Do you think that his aggression towards the hens will pass? I know he has to chase them to mate them, but I can't have this happen all the time. I don't have proof that it was him, but it is the only logical choice. I have him separated out from the group right now to hopefully knock down his status in the group.
