Bloody Beak, Feather Loss and Odd Growth on Rooster

[chickenbee]

Hi everyone. I got an issue with a rooster and I'm not sure if it is nothing to worry about or it is a bigger issue.

I saw a noticeable amount of blood on the feeder today so after dark I went out to see who was bleeding. After looking at each bird, I found that this rooster was bleeding from it's beak. I'm not sure if the blood is coming from the corner of the beak or from inside. The blood is present on both sides of the beak.

If it is outside the beak, I am not sure how to help him being so close to his beak.



The second issue with this same rooster is he has been missing feathers along his neck for about two months now. At first I thought he got into a fight with the other rooster or maybe he was molting but there has been no improvement. This rooster is the top of the pecking order and I have never seen any of the other chickens go after him so I don't think he is being pecked at. His neck is full of quills but they haven't gotten longer in two months. I checked the flock for mites and I see nothing.

Lastly, tonight I noticed a small white growth on the neck of the same rooster. I'm not sure if this is something to worry about or if it is related to the other issues.

I put blue wound kote on the rooster's neck so that is why the colors look a little off in the last two photos.




Edit: Fixed a typo.

 

[QueenMisha]

Hmm. Not 100% sure about the beak. Definitely an injury of some sort. I've seen similar issues is turkeys that got their beaks stuck in the plastic feeders I use. You'll need to check the area throughly. Wrap the bird in a towel, straddle it, and grab the comb in one hand and the wattle in the other. Check that his tongue isn't injured and search for the source of the injury. If it's a simple laceration (likely), it should heal up on its own.

Sorry to say, but what you are seeing is definitely feather-picking. You need to apply a heavy layer of Pick-No-More or a similar anti-picking solution. If you can determine which hens or cocks are doing it, separate them completely for 1-2 weeks and then do a hard reintroduction. Consider taking a look at the size of your coop, your flock's environment, and your feeding practices; crowding, boredom, and protein deficiency are all very common causes of feather picking.

The white lump is an ingrown pin feather. This happens most frequently in cases of picking, since there are so many feathers attempting to grow in while still encountering lots of resistance, as well as bacteria introduced into the environment from the picker's beaks. It will often resolve itself if not discovered, but when it is, one should take measures to prevent it getting worse (rarely it can result in a worse infection of the follicle). Take something sharp like a clothespin, disinfect it, and pop it through the top of the ingrown feather. There should be an actual curled up feather in there. Once it's out far enough to grasp with your fingernails, grab the feather and pluck it (it won't continue growing anyways). Clean the area with water and dry it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hmm. Not 100% sure about the beak. Definitely an injury of some sort. I've seen similar issues is turkeys that got their beaks stuck in the plastic feeders I use. You'll need to check the area throughly. Wrap the bird in a towel, straddle it, and grab the comb in one hand and the wattle in the other. Check that his tongue isn't injured and search for the source of the injury. If it's a simple laceration (likely), it should heal up on its own.

Sorry to say, but what you are seeing is definitely feather-picking. You need to apply a heavy layer of Pick-No-More or a similar anti-picking solution. If you can determine which hens or cocks are doing it, separate them completely for 1-2 weeks and then do a hard reintroduction. Consider taking a look at the size of your coop, your flock's environment, and your feeding practices; crowding, boredom, and protein deficiency are all very common causes of feather picking.

The white lump is an ingrown pin feather. This happens most frequently in cases of picking, since there are so many feathers attempting to grow in while still encountering lots of resistance, as well as bacteria introduced into the environment from the picker's beaks. It will often resolve itself if not discovered, but when it is, one should take measures to prevent it getting worse (rarely it can result in a worse infection of the follicle). Take something sharp like a clothespin, disinfect it, and pop it through the top of the ingrown feather. There should be an actual curled up feather in there. Once it's out far enough to grasp with your fingernails, grab the feather and pluck it (it won't continue growing anyways). Clean the area with water and dry it.

X2. When feathers are growing back in, they are very attractive to others for pecking, along with red skin. Nustock Cream is a bad tasting opaque cream that many people use, since it is healing and antifungal. You can also put a piece of cloth around his neck and chest.

 

[chickenbee]

Thanks for the info.

The flock is free-ranged on about 2 acres. I have not witnessed any picking on the rooster's neck and I am around them very often during the day. The only thing I can think of is that he is getting pecked when they are roosting in the evening. The coop has an automatic door that opens as soon as it gets light so they tend to be out and about as soon as they wake up.

I was worried that perhaps he had something wrong beyond just picking.


In the past I have always used blue wound kote or blue lotion for picked feathers or cuts and it seemed to work very well. Are the other creams better?

 

[QueenMisha]

Thanks for the info.

The flock is free-ranged on about 2 acres. I have not witnessed any picking on the rooster's neck and I am around them very often during the day. The only thing I can think of is that he is getting pecked when they are roosting in the evening. The coop has an automatic door that opens as soon as it gets light so they tend to be out and about as soon as they wake up.

I was worried that perhaps he had something wrong beyond just picking.


In the past I have always used blue wound kote or blue lotion for picked feathers or cuts and it seemed to work very well. Are the other creams better?

I've never used Blue-Kote, but I will say that I have never once had Pick-No-More fail. Including the times I've used it in highly
cannibalistic species like partridge. It's not just a blue spray - it also contains natural oils (e.g. eucalyptus, I think) which results in an unpleasant taste/smell that discourages picking, and can even speed healing.