9 week old baby attacked last night

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I think the injured one looks like a rooster and the comb looks kind of rooish, but I will let others decide. Maybe a picture from the side where his hackle and saddle feathers would show up.

Same, looks like a less developed EE cockerel comb to me. While I guess some hens have theee rows, like this guy does, I think it’s unusual.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Ahhh well, here's to hoping... Anyway, I'm not sure if this poor injured chicken is going to be able to integrate back into the coop. He doesn't really seem "sick" like he used to. He's eating, drinking, and pooping pretty much like normal... But he will not even try to defend himself at all when any of the other chickens go after him. He just lowers his head and squawks painfully, especially if he can't run away because they've cornered him.

My husband thinks I'm being too soft hearted. He thinks I ought to just put him back out there and if he kill him, so be it.... Either that or we just cull him.

Seems cruel for him to survive that trauma, only to be nursed back to health, and summarily culled....

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Poor little guy. Is he fully healed?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Ahhh well, here's to hoping... Anyway, I'm not sure if this poor injured chicken is going to be able to integrate back into the coop. He doesn't really seem "sick" like he used to. He's eating, drinking, and pooping pretty much like normal... But he will not even try to defend himself at all when any of the other chickens go after him. He just lowers his head and squawks painfully, especially if he can't run away because they've cornered him.

My husband thinks I'm being too soft hearted. He thinks I ought to just put him back out there and if he kill him, so be it.... Either that or we just cull him.

Seems cruel for him to survive that trauma, only to be nursed back to health, and summarily culled....

Maybe coming up with a plan for your extra cockerels will help you figure out what to do with him?

 

[TJAnonymous]

So I took pity on the poor fella and took him back out to the coop tonight. There were several hours of daylight left. I opened up the run to give everyone a chance to openly free range and interact. (Some of the adopted chickens aren't smart enough to find the usual gate I leave open.) Sure enough the adults pretty much ignored him but his siblings took special pleasure in chasing him down and trying to corner him... So as dusk got closer, I decided to try something different. I have two coops. One coop belongs to the adopted chickens and was here when I bought the house. This is the coop that the babies (his siblings) now occupy with most of the adults. I have a 2nd coop (see below} that I made for my 6 original Buff Orpingtons... After we integrated my 6 girls with the others, my girls quickly rose to the top of the pecking order... I think they were younger, healthier, and far more spoiled so they felt entitled to own everything... My girls are very tame and friendly to people. Just about anyone can pick them up... So anyway, I decided to try to put fella in with the girls. I was nervous because they used to pick at each other mercilessly when I had a light in there.... And as mentioned, they are the TOP of the pecking order and he's just a single 11 week old baby with no friends except me... I sat outside the coop listening intently and watching them all enter for the night, one by one... After the last chicken entered, I peeked through the door and watched. Big girl jumped right up next to Fella and didn't bother him at all....

Now let's just hope they don't traumatize him in the morning.... But so far, he seems to maybe have a new home....

 

[TJAnonymous]

My sense of humor got the best of me and I have named the little fella 'Cesear.' His sibling who keeps trying to kill him, I have named 'Brutus'

Needless to say, little guy has become quite attached to me now. He follows me around outside and if I sit down, he jumps into my lap and snuggles close... He even sings to me sometimes....

He did fine in the coop with my girls but Brutus and the others chased him so badly in the morning that he flew over the fence out of the run to get away from them....

 

[Eggcessive]

So glad that Cesar has his own place with the girls. Hopefully, he will be safe. Good luck.

 

[TJAnonymous]

My husband and I were talking about it and I've got something I'm going to try tonight.... I'm going to put Cesear in the coop with my girls like I did last night. When it gets dark, I'm going to go in the other coop and take Brutus out.... Maybe isolate him away from the others for a few days. That ought to upset their pecking order so when morning comes, hopefully the leaderless band of siblings won't gang up on him again....

BTW, my husband has a coworker who might be looking for a rooster but I won't know until next week. The question is.... Which one should she take? Cesear or Brutus?

 

[TJAnonymous]

Just giving an update.... Cesear seems to be almost fully healed although I don't think his right eye will ever fully open again. He is still afraid of his siblings and tries very hard to avoid them. I ended up taking Brutus (the main instigator bully) out and have been keeping him isolated in a cage. I'm probably going to have to cull him as I can't find anyone who wants him... He isn't aggressive towards people but clearly is aggressive to the other roosters including all of his siblings

Anyway, Cesear stays in the coop with my girls at night and this seems to be a decent arrangement. They don't seem to pick on him too much but in the morning when the coop door opens (on a timer), he hightails it to the barn and pretty much stays in there all the time. He generally avoids all the other chickens... He has become attached to people and frequently follows me around the barn as I'm working and feeding everyone. Sometimes he jumps into my laps and loves affection...

I'm amazed at the change in his personality from before the attack and after.....

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Just giving an update.... Cesear seems to be almost fully healed although I don't think his right eye will ever fully open again. He is still afraid of his siblings and tries very hard to avoid them. I ended up taking Brutus (the main instigator bully) out and have been keeping him isolated in a cage. I'm probably going to have to cull him as I can't find anyone who wants him... He isn't aggressive towards people but clearly is aggressive to the other roosters including all of his siblings

Anyway, Cesear stays in the coop with my girls at night and this seems to be a decent arrangement. They don't seem to pick on him too much but in the morning when the coop door opens (on a timer), he hightails it to the barn and pretty much stays in there all the time. He generally avoids all the other chickens... He has become attached to people and frequently follows me around the barn as I'm working and feeding everyone. Sometimes he jumps into my laps and loves affection...

I'm amazed at the change in his personality from before the attack and after.....

Thanks for the update! I’m glad that Caesar is doing well. It is a challenge finding homes for excess cockerels.