Eye Injury to My Roo

[MyFlockIsMyLife]

A little background: I had 6 mature hens and 4 roos. Outnumbered sexes due to eggs hatched by broody hen, and it took a long while to convince the person I live with to get more. I’ve had to separate the girls from the boys due to severe over mating. One of the Roos was given away, leaving me with 3 Roos. I’ve had 3 hens die over the past year and a half leaving me 3 mature hens and 3 Roos. I got 12 pullets this chick season. I’ve got the hens and pullets separated out in their coop and run area. The boys have been outside of this area. Well, my oldest roo last well was mounted by the two younger Roos, so the older roo is in a separate yard by himself now until his feathers grow back and he’s stronger and healthier again. Today the two younger Roos must have gotten into it bc my bigger roo was hiding and when I finally coaxed him out I noticed his eyelid is closed he is not opening the one eye and it appears there is a clear liquid like substance draining from his eye. I’m at a loss. I feel if I release the older girls, they will be over mated and traumatized again, but I’m running out of places to separate and house the boys until the everyone can be out together. Please help with any suggestions on how I have things set up right now, and ways I can try and see what exactly is wrong with this Roos eye. I’m sorry this was so long but I figured the context might help?

 

[LaFleche]

Although I am sure you do not want to hear this, freezer camp is the right place to keep cockerels and roosters that cannot be rehomed and severely impair the wellbeing if the entire flock.

Pick the one the hens like best as they are the ones that have to live and deal with him on a daily basis.

Then dispatch the others or just give them away to people in need of a nice meal.

 

[LaFleche]

Regarding the eye of the injured rooster: Flush it well several times a day with eye wash solution and apply triple antibiotic ointment or eye drops.

Feed him scrambled eggs and other nutritious food high in protein and add poultry vitamins such as Rooster Booster or similar to his water for several days to help him recover from the abuse.

 

[Strawberry74]

A little background: I had 6 mature hens and 4 roos. Outnumbered sexes due to eggs hatched by broody hen, and it took a long while to convince the person I live with to get more. I’ve had to separate the girls from the boys due to severe over mating. One of the Roos was given away, leaving me with 3 Roos. I’ve had 3 hens die over the past year and a half leaving me 3 mature hens and 3 Roos. I got 12 pullets this chick season. I’ve got the hens and pullets separated out in their coop and run area. The boys have been outside of this area. Well, my oldest roo last well was mounted by the two younger Roos, so the older roo is in a separate yard by himself now until his feathers grow back and he’s stronger and healthier again. Today the two younger Roos must have gotten into it bc my bigger roo was hiding and when I finally coaxed him out I noticed his eyelid is closed he is not opening the one eye and it appears there is a clear liquid like substance draining from his eye. I’m at a loss. I feel if I release the older girls, they will be over mated and traumatized again, but I’m running out of places to separate and house the boys until the everyone can be out together. Please help with any suggestions on how I have things set up right now, and ways I can try and see what exactly is wrong with this Roos eye. I’m sorry this was so long but I figured the context might help?View attachment 4144440

I'm sorry you're having flock troubles. I've been in your shoes with an injured rooster eye. If you have some liquid colloidal silver you can put a couple drops in his eye throughout the day several times or if you have any steroidal eye ointment.

It sounds like you have three areas you could keep birds in, is that correct? If it were me, I think I would put your older roo with the ladies and separate the two younger roos for a while in separate pens. If the ladies are pretty beat up and recovering still you could get them hen saddles to help protect them. You might want to consider rehoming another boy because even with your 12 pullets added to your other three hens three roosters is going to be too many fire 15 hens. Are the roosters in visual site of the girls and can they hear the hens? If you can put some distance between them it can be successful to have a little Bachelor flock.

How old are you pullets, the older roo and the 2 younger roos?

 

[MyFlockIsMyLife]

I'm sorry you're having flock troubles. I've been in your shoes with an injured rooster eye. If you have some liquid colloidal silver you can put a couple drops in his eye throughout the day several times or if you have any steroidal eye ointment.

It sounds like you have three areas you could keep birds in, is that correct? If it were me, I think I would put your older roo with the ladies and separate the two younger roos for a while in separate pens. If the ladies are pretty beat up and recovering still you could get them hen saddles to help protect them. You might want to consider rehoming another boy because even with your 12 pullets added to your other three hens three roosters is going to be too many fire 15 hens. Are the roosters in visual site of the girls and can they hear the hens? If you can put some distance between them it can be successful to have a little Bachelor flock.

How old are you pullets, the older roo and the 2 younger roos?

Older Roo I got when his original owner passed away, but I’ve had him more than 4 yrs now. The younger two Roos are 1 year and 2 months as of the 7th. My mature hens are 2 yrs old. The first set of pullets I have are 2 months, the second set not even 1 month old yet (they’re in the house still tho). I will try to rehome the non injured younger roo I guess then. It’s just always so hard- I have bad luck even giving them (roosters) away!

I’m working on wrangling either the injured roo to clean out his eye, or the one who hurt him…problem is I’m not trying to scare/stress the injured one out any more than he already, and the other one keeps running and hiding… it is quite hot outside and I’m starting to wonder if I should try to do this when they go in for the night? I’m going to add pics of my setup so you can see what I’m talking about. These are all the from the “chickens’ area”. I have a section of my yard separated from my back yard. I have a big wooden coop in this chicken area; then within this area, I have a huge cage and a smaller cage attached to each other, both with small coops inside. EDIT: those are not dead chickens, but plushies I got for the Roos to release testosterone while hens have been healing.

 

[MyFlockIsMyLife]

Although I am sure you do not want to hear this, freezer camp is the right place to keep cockerels and roosters that cannot be rehomed and severely impair the wellbeing if the entire flock.

Pick the one the hens like best as they are the ones that have to live and deal with him on a daily basis.

Then dispatch the others or just give them away to people in need of a nice meal.

I know it’s always a very last resort to dispatch for me personally but I will try to find someone who wants him and I just won’t ask any questions. Hopefully I’ll have better luck giving one of them away this time.

 

[Strawberry74]

Older Roo I got when his original owner passed away, but I’ve had him more than 4 yrs now. The younger two Roos are 1 year and 2 months as of the 7th. My mature hens are 2 yrs old. The first set of pullets I have are 2 months, the second set not even 1 month old yet (they’re in the house still tho). I will try to rehome the non injured younger roo I guess then. It’s just always so hard- I have bad luck even giving them (roosters) away!

I’m working on wrangling either the injured roo to clean out his eye, or the one who hurt him…problem is I’m not trying to scare/stress the injured one out any more than he already, and the other one keeps running and hiding… it is quite hot outside and I’m starting to wonder if I should try to do this when they go in for the night? I’m going to add pics of my setup so you can see what I’m talking about. These are all the from the “chickens’ area”. I have a section of my yard separated from my back yard. I have a big wooden coop in this chicken area; then within this area, I have a huge cage and a smaller cage attached to each other, both with small coops inside. EDIT: those are not dead chickens, but plushies I got for the Roos to release testosterone while hens have been healing.

The plush chickens snd the dinosaur are hysterical! Do the stuffed ones work and do they use them? It's hard to envision your set up in its entirety, but looks like they can so always see each other. Do they free range your backyard normally?

You could just put some feelers out for a new home. It never hurts to try. I know how hard it is to rehome Roos. I just built another pen when I had too many. I've also rehomed with good success, but I am picky. No one leaves unless I approve. I love my boys. Male birds have a special place in my heart.

 

[MyFlockIsMyLife]

The plush chickens snd the dinosaur are hysterical! Do the stuffed ones work and do they use them? It's hard to envision your set up in its entirety, but looks like they can so always see each other. Do they free range your backyard normally?

You could just put some feelers out for a new home. It never hurts to try. I know how hard it is to rehome Roos. I just built another pen when I had too many. I've also rehomed with good success, but I am picky. No one leaves unless I approve. I love my boys. Male birds have a special place in my heart.

Yes they can all see and hear each other I never realized that’s where the problems are coming from. I’ve had two roosters before and they NEVER fought— but I also had no hens at this time— makes sense now why they never tried each other. Usually everyone is out together and can come and go from any of the cages/coops as they please, then all go into the big wooden coop at night…but since the girls had to be separated, it stressed my boys out; girls are a-okay with everything.

To answer your question: yes!! The stuffed animals DO work. I’ve seen all my boys “go at ‘em”. I bought quite a few so each roo would be able to use them, and boy do they!!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Wait wait wait…when you say they “use” the stuffed animals…do you mean…romantically?

 

[Strawberry74]

Were you able to get your injured boy doctored last evening?