Rooster with No Feathers on his Rear - Can He Stay Outside?

[rm09boug]

Hey everyone, looking for some advice this morning. We had a coyote attack yesterday and though we feared the worst when we got out into the yard and saw all the feathers strewn about, it turns out the coyote only managed to pull the feathers out of our rooster's tail and a part of his saddle, with his only scrapes coming from the thorn bushes he escaped into.

I brought him inside because he seemed to be in shock, and I wanted to monitor him. He's definitely back to normal, behavior-wise (guess who was crowing literally right outside my bedroom door at 4am this morning!), but the temperature has been ranging between 15-30 degrees (F) outside lately so I'm not sure if he should be outside without his down jacket.

I'd hate to keep him cooped up and away from the flock (I also worry about reintroducing him, as we have a second rooster who is the king of the backyard), but I don't know how warm he can keep himself. Does anyone have experience with this? Advice?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!

(As a note, we're keeping the chickens in their run until we can get rid of that coyote, as the scrawny thing seems very desperate and very bold.)

ETA: He's a buff orpington rooster, about six months old. We have a heater in our coop that keeps the area about ten degrees warmer than the outside temp (currently at 39*F)

 

[Wezdin]

Can you post pictures of the rooster?

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Pics?

 

[pennyJo1960]

Need the photos if he still has feathers over his body he can go out be fine

 

[Eggcessive]

He should be fine as long as they don’t pick on him. I have had hens who were molting in winter who did fine. If you could post pictures, we might have more suggestions. Sometimes we can make no-sew polar fleece saddles or TShirts if they are really bare.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Our Pyrenees mix got in the chicken yard my boy took her away from his hens to protect them lost all his tail feathers but not a scratch.. she has not been in there without me before just got too wound up needles to say she is not loose with them now

 

[Cragg Klefor]

He should be fine, just make certain there are no hidden wounds or he could go downhill fast. If you have Blu kote it would really help to prevent pecking at his naked butt

 

[mew317]

We got a polish rooster (named Elvis after some singer I believe for his hair on his head) without tail feathers. I believe he got em picked out however. Plus, adding he is something of a mean roo.

 

[rm09boug]

Ah, that was silly of me; here’s a picture. The blue that you see was a scrape, I think from the thorns he got into, that I covered with some salve meant for poultry.

 

[sourland]

I'd put him back with the flock, but monitor closely so that they do not feather pluck his pin feathers when they start growing.