Can a Rooster cut a hen under her wing by mounting?

[Oleychickmama]

My sweet speckled sussex was found with quite a bloody side yesterday.

It almost looks like she got it caught on something but we couldn't find anything with feathers or skin attached to it? I'm wondering if my very active rooster did this to her. She does seem to be one of his "favorites"

We've separated her and applied blue kote. She has stopped limping and even laid a very small egg today. I'm working on saddles for all 8 hens. I think I need a few more hens this spring to take the attention away from the other 8?

By separating her, when she's healed up and I put her back into the flock, will they pick on her? Will he? They can actually all see her as she's still in the main building, just in a smaller cage until she heals.

Thanks for your input.....

 

[baldie]

Most defintely a rooster can do this. I think once she is healed she will be okay. Since she is in the cage once she gets back out they may need to re-establish the pecking order, but it shouldn't be too bad. But I am no expert, this was just my experience.

 

[crtrlovr]

yep. One of my pretty Buffie girls Bonnie has a hole in EACH side from being mounted by my large RIR roo Sarge.

I put triple antibiotic cream w/o painkiller on her, and extended a saddle I already had to go further down her sides & back, giving her more coverage. Today her saddle is in the laundry, and I'll be putting it back on her when it's dry. It does seem to help quite a bit -- the roo can still mate with her, and it gives her sides & back protection from his toenails.

I would think your hen/roo ratio was good, but maybe having a few more might take some of the focus off your SS... Is she by any chance his favorite, or a little smaller than your other girls? Is he a heavy roo? As for the separation, since she's still in their sight & presence, I wouldn't think they'd be apt to pick on her once she's released. JMO

I hope your girl heals quickly!

edited for typo

 

[Oleychickmama]

Thanks for the reassurances.
I'm not very creative when it come to these saddles, but I'm thinking that maybe one that is wider and covers her sides more will be better. Guess I could attach string or elastic that would go under her belly to help keep it in place?

 

[Lollipop]

You might be better of to trim his spurs. Use a dremel tool with a cut off wheel and cut the spur about 3/8 from the leg. He`ll squirm, but it`s mostly from the vibration. May be a small amount of blood, but the dremel usually cauterizes it and it will stop in short order. This is done all the time and also on some hens that grow spurs to eliminate damage to chicks.