EMERGENCY!!! Rooster attacked and injured

[cheirogloss]

Last night around 4 am my DH heard what he described as something fighting for its life. I went and checked on the chicks and the only thing amiss was that the roo and 1 hen were off the roost and on the floor of the coop walking around. They were both fine, no blood, no missing feathers. No preds in or around the coop. We heard the noise again around 45 mins later and thought early morning chicken sex?

This morning when I went to release the chicks, I found a bunch of feathers outside the coop and my poor roo with a bloody patch of missing feathers all the way around his neck, mostly at the front right over his crop. My best guess is that something was threatening the flock, the roo came to the defense against something, and (while successful) was injured in the process. The only injury I see is around his neck. He is walking, talking and following directions. He even wanted to free range with the flock.

What do I need to do to treat the wounds. What other physical damage, symptoms should I look for?


1) What type of bird , age and weight.- BO roo, 8 months old

2) What is the behavior, exactly.- hunched while standing, wincing, unable to extend neck

3) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma- blood and missing feathers around neck, mostly in front

4) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation- pred attack around 4am, no sign of coop penetration

5) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all- scratch, layer pellets, water

6) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.- don't know

7) What has been the treatment you have administered so far- none so far

8 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet- must self-treat, no poultry vet here

9) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.- pics forthcoming

 

[Ridgerunner]

First, I'd make sure the other chickens did not start pecking at his wounds. They could easily kill him.

I don't know what your set-up is like. With mine, I'd pen him in the coop so he could be around the other chickens yet protected from them. I'd make sure he is eating and drinking. If he is eating and drinking on his own, I'd make sure he had something that gave him extra energy. You can get something with electrolytes in it specifically for poultry. Make sure it says poultry if you get a preparation. You can give him some sugar water.

I had a pullet that injured her neck and was not eating and drinking. I wrapped her in a towel to keep her immobilized, turned her on her back, and used a medicine dropper to feed her some hummingbird liquid for energy and some straight water. I also took some crumbles and dropped them down her throat. I did that once in the afternoon and once that evening. The next morning she was eating and drinking on her own.

I don't know about treating the actual wound. A photo would definitely help there and I'm sure you will get good advice from people that have dealt with open wounds. I have not yet.

Good luck!

 

[ruth]

Sounds like he'll be fine since he's walking, eating, drinking, etc. As far as cleaning the wounds, use some hydrogen peroxide to help wash out dirt and debris then apply Neosporin. Doesn't sound like any stitches are needed. If the feathers cover the wound so it's not visible and other's won't peck at it, and he's wanting to go back with the flock, I would let him. For a roo that's the best thing for them is to let them get back to being the top roo and not get knocked down a notch or two.

When I have injured or weak birds I always separate them. I have a large coop so I can easily fit a dog kennel or cage in there and I put the bird that needs rest and recovery in the cage so they can still be a part of the flock until they recover. If you see that your roo needs a little time, you can do that.

 

[emvickrey]

This will probably be long.

I had something similar to what you have. Except my young hen had the skin ripped from one side of her neck alll the way round the top and almost to the bottom. I was instructed to clean all depris out of it and trim the feathers back so they don't grow into the wound. pack it with neosporin, not the one with pain releiver. Then sew it back in place. Well I had already done it all but the sewing by the time I got an expert to come to my rescue and I also wrapped her neck with gauze wrap, another no no. I streached the skin back in place best I could and to hold it there I used gauze and wrapped it loosly. IT kept her from moving her hed at all so that was a good thing for that but I had to pick out gauze thread by thread with twezers for 3 days until I got it all out of her wound. She never got an infection and was back outside in a week. But not with the others. She had a pen to herself until her would healed. I kept her in a 20 gal aquaruim with food and water and covered it with an expandable screen with a brick on it to hold it down. I kept her in an unoccupied room. So she stayed quiet. 2 or 3 times a day I would smear neosporin into her wound where there was no skin to soften the scab so I could pull out the threads of the gauze. She was very patient with me and would squawk if I hurt her, but mostly she just sat there asleep. She is doing fine and her first baby hatched about an hour ago.

I didn't give her any special antibiotics or electrolites or yogurt, but if you have it, I would give it. Polyvisol for children is good too. I just don't keep that stuff on hand. She did fine with what I did.

 

[cheirogloss]

I treated the wounds with betadine and triple antibiotic ointment. All the injuries are superficial and the result of whatever attacked pulling feathers out around his neck and under his left wing. He is now back with his flock. I had him in solitary, but all of the ladies were just sitting on and around the cage. He seems much happier out with them, although he can't really extend his neck well to forage.

After looking at his injuries, my best guess is that a racoon or possum (something with fingers) was reaching into the coop and pulling feathers as the roo fought back. Nothing got into the coop and all the feathers are outside the coop. It is strange.

Thank you all for your advice and support! I expect Lola the rooster to make a full recovery.

 

[ruth]

Good to hear he's doing fine. But be on the alert. It does indeed sound like a coon and it will be back.