Can anyone HELP ME??? Pleas tell me what to do

[callahanfarmgirl]

Last night I noticed 4 of my hens looking very damaged on their backs from our rooster so I quarantined them & while doing this I found 1 hen had opened wounds on each side, under her wings. One side seems to be just surface wounds but the pic shows the side I am concerned about. It is deeper than I would consider a surface wound. Does this black looking rock need to but cut out before I apply melds??

 

[spartacus_63]

I had a similar event recently. I cleaned the wound with a slightly abraisive scrub sponge. Once it started to bleed, I stopped. I then applied Blue Cote and kept the bird separate and confined. I ordered some chicken saddles and kept an eye on the wound. Mine healed up nicely. She comes running to me every time I go out in the chicken yard now and hangs out between my feet.

 

[callahanfarmgirl]

I had a similar event recently. I cleaned the wound with a slightly abraisive scrub sponge. Once it started to bleed, I stopped. I then applied Blue Cote and kept the bird separate and confined. I ordered some chicken saddles and kept an eye on the wound. Mine healed up nicely. She comes running to me every time I go out in the chicken yard now and hangs out between my feet.

I went up to the feed store & they told me to do the same thing you did!! I live in Fl & I'm concerned that the saddles will be too hot for them. We are already having highs of 88 & we are expecting a very hot summer.
How long did i take for your girl to heal?

Thank you

 

[spartacus_63]

I wouldn't worry too much about the saddles being to hot. They only cover the back of the chicken. Their combs and wattles is where they dissipate most of their heat. Just make sure they have plenty of water.

My hen was physically well enough to go back into general population after about 10 days. She is still not emotionally ready to face the bullies.

 

[stcroixusvi]

Get rid of the rooster. We finally faced up to the fact that even with the saddles, one of our roosters was just too big for the hens. He went to live somewhere else just the other day. Sad to give him up as he was beautiful and docile to us, but not good for the hens.

 

[kgdubois]

I had the same problem with a couple of my hens. Our rooster had his two favorites, and he was really, REALLY wearing them out. My problem was solved, however, when he attacked me while I was carrying my 2-year-old son. He's now sitting in a pot in my fridge, a delicious chicken stew. If he hadn't of attacked me, I was going to find him another home, but I will not put up with an aggressive bird, so he's gone. My second rooster has filled the "top" spot nicely, and my two naked girls are now regrowing their feathers.

Sometimes you just need to seperate the rooster from the hens for a few days a week to give them a break. I have a friend who keeps a large dog kennel in her coop for her rooster. He lives in there for three or four days out of the week (getting turned out into his own little run in the daytime) so her hens can be stress free. Keeping the rooster in the coop & next to the girls during the day maintains flock heriarchy and reduces stress on all the birds.

Hope this helps!~

 

[spartacus_63]

When I was a youngster, my grandparents raised chickens and had a brooder house. They had multiple rosters and would run into this problem. They used a leather strap to hobble the roosters. They could still walk and jump up on the roost, but it prevented them from chasing the hens. I haven't tried it myself, but I am considering it.

 

[Jakl]

. We get rid of nasty roo's. Sometimes, you can file off the Roo's nails and that helps. They get sharp. between that and the feather pulling and that, it causes the wounds. With my flock, it's mostly the other hens who pluck each other, and it can be reduced (sometimes), by upping their protein, treating for creepy crawlies, and or treating for worms. Try upping their protien first.

Oh, I like this!! spartacus.

When I was a youngster, my grandparents raised chickens and had a brooder house. They had multiple rosters and would run into this problem. They used a leather strap to hobble the roosters. They could still walk and jump up on the roost, but it prevented them from chasing the hens. I haven't tried it myself, but I am considering it.

 

[SavvyLiberty]

Would love to have more information on the rooster hobble, like how long the strap is before it is put on? Then I can make my own for our two.

 

[spartacus_63]

I found a video that shows a rooster hobble in use.