Comb Injury

[bluegiantsc]

I, unfortunately, have 5 roosters living together. Four of them have been together since hatching, then the fifth is their father. So the four get along really well, they have their own pecking order and they exist peacefully. I've had to put them together with their dad in a coop and the adult rooster is highly aggressive.
They seem to have worked most of it out, but one of the roosters is now injured. I assume that he's the bottom of the pecking order. He has a cut comb and it doesn't look like they've let him eat or drink in the last day or so.

Anyway, I've separated him from the rest of the flock. He's been drinking at the pond for the last 20 minutes. I fed him. I have to go back out and clean his comb and give him a good once over.
My questions are: I only have one iodine swab and no liquid, can I use a antiseptic wipe with the main ingredient of Benzalkonium Chloride, 0.13%. Is that going to hurt him? I also have Johnson&Johnson cleansing wipes that have SD Alcohol 40, Benzalkonium Chloride, Propylene Glycol in them. Which ones would be the best for cleaning his comb?

Second, should I just put neosporin on it, or is there something else better?

I haven't had any issues like this in a while and I've just found today that my first aid kits are totally lacking in the animal AND human departments!

He's not super injured that I've seen yet. I haven't looked under feathers or anything yet. So I'll update if he's really hurt. But should I give him some save-a-chick or something, to help make him feel better? Anything other special?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Haunted55]

Even clear water would work and I always use Blu-Kote for comb injuries. I have 8 roos living together and they are always doing stupid things, lol. The part about driving this one away though isn't good. You may have to keep him apart if they will not accept him back in a day or so. Sometimes these things do blow over and they all can go back to living quietly together....for a while.

The vitamins will help him as will the TLC you are giving him. I'm sure he doesn't know up from down right now and needs a chance to get his bearings. Your company and care is giving him the idea he doesn't have to give up and that he is still wanted by someone. Very important. they can and will just will themselves to death if they have no place. Not nice but true. Please keep this updated if you are able.

 

[BantamLover21]

Yes, I would put some neosporin on it. I don't have any experience using the other things you mentioned on birds, so I can't advise you there. Also, keep him warm, well fed, and comfortable. Some Sav-a-Chick would be a good idea, too. The less stressed out he is, the better.
Additionally, don't worry too much about your rooster! I once had a hen who was brutally attacked by an ungentlemanly cockerel. She suffered wounds to her face, comb, and wattles. I just put some antibiotic ointment on it, and cleaned her head of the blood (she was white, so that was a task!), and within a week, you could barely tell that she was ever attacked. Unless your rooster has any internal or serious wounds, or they get infected, I think that he will be fine.

With regards to the attacking roosters, they will most likely work things out in the end. If this particular rooster continues to get picked on, though, it might be a good idea to separate him or get rid of the offenders.

Hope he heals soon!

 

[bluegiantsc]

Thanks so much! I'm going to keep him separated for a while. He's been very quiet today. I cleaned him up a little bit, I'll do a better job tomorrow as I'll have more time. I set him back down in the shade by the pond and he wound up walking into the water just enough to cover his feet and he stood there for like 3 hours. I don't know why, maybe it made him feel better? Then at about 8, he got out of the water and started to peck around a bit, so I gave him some food. He ate, then went and laid next to my herb garden for the night.
I'm not overly worried about his wounds, but I don't want him to feel like an out cast.
I did give him a once over. It looks like he's had some neck feathers pulled out, along with some tail feathers. His comb is missing a point, is split between two points and is cut. He also had some blood on his ear.
I did notice while he was standing, he was favoring his right leg. I checked it and nothing felt broken. I looked at his foot and everything seemed okay with it. I'll check better tomorrow. I actually think, that I'll bring him in and give him a bath in the house(after my husband leaves!) to get all the dried blood off his feathers and make sure that I didn't miss anything when I looked today. That way I can also clean his comb really really well and coat it with neosporin. Should I use the neo without the pain meds? I know with rabbits you have to use the stuff without.

Can they really get sad enough to lose their will to live? That is SO sad. None of them are overly friendly, so I guess I'm going to have to be his flock.

I'll take some picture of him tomorrow and post them. That way you guys can tell me what you think.

 

[Haunted55]

Thanks so much! I'm going to keep him separated for a while. He's been very quiet today. I cleaned him up a little bit, I'll do a better job tomorrow as I'll have more time. I set him back down in the shade by the pond and he wound up walking into the water just enough to cover his feet and he stood there for like 3 hours. I don't know why, maybe it made him feel better? Then at about 8, he got out of the water and started to peck around a bit, so I gave him some food. He ate, then went and laid next to my herb garden for the night.
I'm not overly worried about his wounds, but I don't want him to feel like an out cast.
I did give him a once over. It looks like he's had some neck feathers pulled out, along with some tail feathers. His comb is missing a point, is split between two points and is cut. He also had some blood on his ear.
I did notice while he was standing, he was favoring his right leg. I checked it and nothing felt broken. I looked at his foot and everything seemed okay with it. I'll check better tomorrow. I actually think, that I'll bring him in and give him a bath in the house(after my husband leaves!) to get all the dried blood off his feathers and make sure that I didn't miss anything when I looked today. That way I can also clean his comb really really well and coat it with neosporin. Should I use the neo without the pain meds? I know with rabbits you have to use the stuff without.

Can they really get sad enough to lose their will to live? That is SO sad. None of them are overly friendly, so I guess I'm going to have to be his flock.

I'll take some picture of him tomorrow and post them. That way you guys can tell me what you think.

Yes, without the pain meds and yes, they can give up.

 

[bluegiantsc]

Here are some pictures of him. He got a bath today. I scrub him down with a baby brush, but I didn't want to rub his comb or wattles too hard. So I tried to gently wash them with a wash cloth. I didn't do a great job because the blood is REALLY on there.
I blew him dry with the hairdryer and checked him out. He's favoring his left wing and right leg. I didn't see anything, but maybe he's just sore. He's walking and flapping like normal, but his wing is sensitive to the touch and he barely let me open it. But he kept his right leg up some of the time.
This is actually after being clean. It looks terrible, but it actually looks better than it did before!


That last point on his comb, used to be more round like normal comb. The split is between his second and third point.


Here is the other side of his comb. Before washed him. You can see the bottom, towards his head, directly above his eye, is the bigger cut. And he has a little more wattle damage on this side.


And as you guys may have noticed, he has two different color eyes. One yellow and one black. Thats why we call him Demon, because the black eye looks evil!
But he did really well in the bath, he didn't put up much of a fight. He really loved the hair dryer. I loaded him up with neosporin and sent him back outside.
I'm going to put him in a larger dog kennel to keep him safe and make sure I can always get to him. He's standing outside with his head on his wing and he's shaking. I don't know what that means. Does anyone know what the shaking means? Its warm outside and I dried him pretty well, he may not be 100%, but he's close.
Thanks guys!

 

[bluegiantsc]

I just went out and gave him a special treat, to get him to eat. I made him a special mix of plain greek yogurt, strawberries, banana, chicken feed, a hardboiled egg and some vanilla soy milk. Thats the first thing I've gotten him to eat, so thats a start! Hopefully that will make him feel special enough to keep going. I hope so at least.

 

[Haunted55]

I just went out and gave him a special treat, to get him to eat. I made him a special mix of plain greek yogurt, strawberries, banana, chicken feed, a hardboiled egg and some vanilla soy milk. Thats the first thing I've gotten him to eat, so thats a start! Hopefully that will make him feel special enough to keep going. I hope so at least.

He feels like crap. He's been thrown out of his family unit so everything is in turmoil for him. His comb will heal and he's probably hurting if the beating was bad enough. You can give him an adult asprin in a gallon of water or you can give him 1/8 cup of flat beer if you have it. The beer is good for him and the alcohol will help with the pain. I'd do this at night so he can sleep better. Just let him sip at it if he wants, don't force it.

Poor man. Is there anyway the crate can go into the same place as the others? So he's protected but with them? Too many roos is a problem I know all about and it's not a lot of fun.

Has his eye always been like that?

 

[bluegiantsc]

I can and will put his crate near the coop, so he can be near the rest of the flock.

Yes, his eyes have always been like that. I thought that he had black eyes for the longest time because I only saw that one side of his head, then one day I walked on the other side of him and bam a yellow eye! Its the only way to tell him and another white splashed roo apart, they're nearly identical.

He's eating a little bit, here and there. But mostly just standing under a tree. I hope he comes through well!

 

[Haunted55]

I can and will put his crate near the coop, so he can be near the rest of the flock.

Yes, his eyes have always been like that. I thought that he had black eyes for the longest time because I only saw that one side of his head, then one day I walked on the other side of him and bam a yellow eye! Its the only way to tell him and another white splashed roo apart, they're nearly identical.

He's eating a little bit, here and there. But mostly just standing under a tree. I hope he comes through well!

He should, he's got to feel better and get his head on straight again. You showing him extra care is doing more than you think, trust me. Keep up the good work and things will work out for you and your roo.