Could our rooster have caused this injury? (Pics)

[CrazyTalk]

The fact that he is young would also lead me to suspect him. Older birds have 'got it together' and are usually less wear & tear on the ladies. His beak could have caused that mark.
Best o' luck - let us know!

It's probably him, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's the problem. Chicken sex isn't people sex - it's basically an exchange - the rooster gets to mate with the hens in exchange for helping them find food, watching the sky, etc. If they don't let him mate, they don't get those services - which means they get killed, chased out of the flock, or the rooster keeps attempting until he succeeds.

By any chance is this an older hen - maybe one who was high in the pecking order before you got the rooster? They usually are the ones that seem to have a problem coming to grips with the new pecking order - and sometimes they never get it. Sometimes its a hen problem, and not a rooster problem.


That being said - if he's attacking you, that's a different thing, and its not something I'd put up, or want to allow to mate.

 

[sukochickens]

It's probably him, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's the problem. Chicken sex isn't people sex - it's basically an exchange - the rooster gets to mate with the hens in exchange for helping them find food, watching the sky, etc. If they don't let him mate, they don't get those services - which means they get killed, chased out of the flock, or the rooster keeps attempting until he succeeds.


By any chance is this an older hen - maybe one who was high in the pecking order before you got the rooster? They usually are the ones that seem to have a problem coming to grips with the new pecking order - and sometimes they never get it. Sometimes its a hen problem, and not a rooster problem.



That being said - if he's attacking you, that's a different thing, and its not something I'd put up, or want to allow to mate.

They've pretty much all been raised together. This is our first year having chickens. The Brahma (hens) are a little older than the Wyandottes, but only by maybe 6 weeks. We have 6 Brahma, all hens and 3 Wyandottes, 2 hens and 1 rooster. We did have 4 wyandottes but an owl got one of the hens. I've seen him mate with multiple hens, not just chasing one around. He was lower in the pecking order before he started to mature, but now it seems that most of the hens respect him. Maybe I could put him in our large dog crate for a few days and see if that helps. Thank you!

 

[CrazyTalk]

They've pretty much all been raised together. This is our first year having chickens. The Brahma (hens) are a little older than the Wyandottes, but only by maybe 6 weeks. We have 6 Brahma, all hens and 3 Wyandottes, 2 hens and 1 rooster. We did have 4 wyandottes but an owl got one of the hens. I've seen him mate with multiple hens, not just chasing one around. He was lower in the pecking order before he started to mature, but now it seems that most of the hens respect him. Maybe I could put him in our large dog crate for a few days and see if that helps. Thank you!

Ok - this clarifies things a bit - the hen that's getting picked on is probably just a little less mature then the ones he's mating, and just isn't ready (or she just hasn't come to grips with the fact that he's not low in the pecking order anymore). Some separation (of her or him) may help - but it should eventually sort itself out.

 

[sukochickens]

Ok - this clarifies things a bit - the hen that's getting picked on is probably just a little less mature then the ones he's mating, and just isn't ready (or she just hasn't come to grips with the fact that he's not low in the pecking order anymore). Some separation (of her or him) may help - but it should eventually sort itself out.

Well, I came home to find her almost completely scalped. I know it's him now. She was almost fully healed and now we have to start all over. I'm not giving it the chance to sort itself out. In the freezer he goes!!!

 

[Chicken girl 15]

OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!! There are way too many sweet hen pleasing roosters out there in need of homes. I have 2 Spitzhauben Roos, 5 and 6 months. Both worship the ground the girls ,8 RIR 8 months old and 10 girls at 7 months, walk on. They deliver bugs and weeds they chase off anything "mean" . In return the girls squat and submit to the boys on demand. However the boys know without a doubt I'm in charge. They submit to me when needed. Mean boys get to go to freezer camp while nice ones go to play with the girls.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Bad rooster good bye, thats just not right he need to become fried chicken.

 

[enola]

One very important thing about wounds on chickens. A wound MUST be fully healed before putting the chicken back with the flock. A scab is nothing more than another interesting thing to peck until it bleeds.
Putting a partly healed chicken in the flock is just asking for trouble.

 

[boskelli1571]

Well, I came home to find her almost completely scalped. I know it's him now. She was almost fully healed and now we have to start all over. I'm not giving it the chance to sort itself out. In the freezer he goes!!!

Poor girl! So - off to isolation for her until she heals - off to the chopping block for Mister roo. It's for the best - he would have gotten more aggressive with you and the ladies....case closed Sherlock!

 

[sukochickens]

Poor girl! So - off to isolation for her until she heals - off to the chopping block for Mister roo. It's for the best - he would have gotten more aggressive with you and the ladies....case closed Sherlock!

Yep! I put her in a crate in the coop this time so she is able to be with the flock a little. The rooster is currently separated from everyone in an unused dog pen until he's dinner. He's very unhappy about it. I told him if he wasn't a jerk this wouldn't have had to happen. LOL!

 

[sukochickens]

One very important thing about wounds on chickens. A wound MUST be fully healed before putting the chicken back with the flock. A scab is nothing more than another interesting thing to peck until it bleeds.
Putting a partly healed chicken in the flock is just asking for trouble.

Thank you! I don't think that was the problem though. It was definitely him. It was healed, just a scar basically. You had to part the feathers to see it. The above pics are from when it first happened.