Badly injured comb...Will he lose it? Pic...

[Chicken D's mom]

This is a picture 3 days after Chicken D was attacked by another rooster. It's got neosporin all over it, but I'm concerned about the yellowish yucky spots at the base of his comb. He's eating and drinking and doesn't act sick.

Please let me know if this needs vet attention.

Also, I plan to get rid of the other roo, when I find a home for him. Chicken D is isolated in the garage. When the other roo is gone, do you think it would be okay to put "D" back with the other two bantam hens (they are very small and "D" is large), or do I need to let him completely heal up before I put him back in his coop?

Thank you for any advice.

Here's a picture of "D" before his attack

 

[JestersEye]

I'd suspect that it might look worse than it actually is, because of all the dried blood. The actual wounds might be relatively superficial, from my experience.

If I were you, I would gently clean the area thoroughly, in order to get a good look at the injury. You can use a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution at first, and then rinse it with some betadine to disinfect. If you are concerned about infection, you should start him on some oral (or perhaps injectable) antibiotics.

Growing up, we used to have lots of rooster fights... but they always seemed to heal up on their own with very little care. I'd keep him separated from any other chickens until he heals up a bit.

Once the bleeding has stopped, you should cover the area with Blu Cote to prevent the red color from attracting the attention of his flock mates. If they see blood, they will continue to peck at him!

 

[pbjmaker]

I agree - those comb wounds usually look worse than they are. He should be fine with the two bantam hens once the other roo is gone. My big guy (very big) is fine with my little girls. He likes to cuddle them at night.