Flock attacked! Rooster injured!

[greenfeather_rooster]

My black maran rooster was bravely protecting his flock of eight and obtained an injury. He is missing many tail feathers and most of his back feathers. He looks like he has been scratched or bitten, there are scabs on his back. There is a very cold winter coming, and I need to know how to safely heal him and keep him warm until his feathers grow back. Also, he seems to have some trauma from the attack as he has lost two of his hens. We love our rooster and need some answers. Help please!

 

[rjohns39]

Can you get it inside and warm, we'd also like to get some pictures of the wounds. I've asked on of the first aid folks to pop over.

 

[rjohns39]

Wish it were under better circumstances, but welcome to BYC So sorry for the loss of your hens.

 

[Talithahorse]

You might want to check him thoroughly for any other injuries that might be hidden by feathers. On the wounds, you can use vetrycin or other topical antibiotic (nothing with pain medication). I use swat (horse ointment) in summer because it keeps flies from laying on the wounds. Sorry for the loss of your hens. As far as the feather loss if it is not huge, once he begins to heal he will regrow feathers fairly quickly and in the meantime, he may become very cuddly with his favorite hen. I have a rooster who was in the same shape and he just cuddled for a couple of weeks until his feathers started to come back. Of course we live in the deep south so we are not so cold.

 

[BYC910]

As long as your coop is fully enclosed he should be fine . The wounds are already scabbed over so it would be better just to watch for infection. I would treat only if I saw infection because the healing process has already begun . I'm sorry you lost your hens . You should be guarding against whatever attacked your flock . It most likely will return.

 

[azygous]

It sounds like a hawk attack. Or eagle. Did you lose the hens in the same attack? I'm so sorry. I know how traumatic it is to have this happen as it's happened to me, too.

First aid consists of cleaning all wounds thoroughly with either saline or soap and water. Pay attention to the type of wounds as puncture wounds will need to be watched closely for infection and may require an oral antibiotic. You will know if infection is present by the redness of the skin around the wounds.

Keep all wounds moist with an antibiotic ointment until they are closed up completely. If this was a recent attack and the rooster seems stressed, make sure he has electrolytes in his water to combat shock.

After an attack, the survivors will seek safety and security. Make sure you can provide this for them.

 

[Sunshine Flock]

If you search for discussions on Manuka honey, you'll find one I started two months ago for my rooster Henry.

He was attacked by a coyote and had horrible wounds. I applied a generous coating of honey and nothing else, after trimming the feathers way back. By the end of the next day I could see a hint of healing on the outer edges of the wounds.

There's a lot of research that supports the use of honey for treating serious wounds. Manuka honey is pricey, but you can use local raw honey, too. It's affordable and will last you a long time.

There are other things I did to help with his recovery, but a primary support was epsom salt baths. The cleansing and healing from the baths was significant and will help with any hidden wounds you may not have found just yet.

 

[Sunshine Flock]

And Bach Rescue Remedy dripped in his water or directly dripped onto his beak will help calm him and dull any anxiety he's experiencing.

 

[rjohns39]

@azygous I'm running out of gas. I'm going to turn in and check back in early tomorrow morning. Thanks again for stopping by.

 

[greenfeather_rooster]

Thanks all! I will post some pics later.