Help my rooster is eating himself!!

[beautifulbirds]

Why not put vaseline on their combs and wattles in winter, like they do for dogs feet when it snows?

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
OMG, it was hard enough to read the OP's message about the bleeding rooster eating itself, but then reading about dubbing...
I've never heard of either dubbing or what the rooster was doing.

I hope that never happens to my rooster because I can't even imagine my "dubbing" a chicken. fpseewwwwwwww 'tain't never gonna happen, no way!

 

[Poohbear]

Dubbing wouldn't be my first choice but I would rather dub one than see their comb frozen off. Once you get the comb dubbed, they will tuck their head under the wing at night and sleep soundly. Neither cold or mosquitoes can get to their head when it is under their wing. During fifty years of raising chickens I have dubbed them, operated on their craws when they were too bound to eat, set broken legs, wings, toes. Sutured, sewn and set pretty near everything on a chicken. Sometimes the job is left up to a caring owner of the fowl to do these things and the best way to take care of them is not always the easy way. One of the best books you can buy to care for your fowl is "Diseases Of Birds" by Robert Stroud. Remember him? He was the "Birdman of Alcatraz". Healthy fowl don't just happen. It takes hard work and a lot of knowledge to properly care for fowl, just as it does to care for any living thing. Never sell your fowl short because the cure is "Icky". They depend on you totally.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Poolbear, I really admire your history of working with chickens, seriously. I'm in awe.
In all honesty, though, there is just no way that I could do most of what you mention. I hope my chickens stay in good health.

 

[snowydiamonds]

Well I read the link and just before dark went out to get Brewster, decided to use the light from the kitchen window so I could see what I was doing, sat him down on the snow, holding his wings and he laid down while I kept ahold of his wings by placing my knees on each side of his body.

I had the scissors sharpened and a pink bowl of flour sitting in the snow (white flour and a white bowl w/white snow wasn't a good idea). I was going to start at the back of his head like the link said but at the first cut he moved his head so I chickened out. I began at the front of his head and did it quickly, first half done! Then I tried again at the back, got the second half done!

I poured flour in the cut areas while moving the comb pieces away from him where they had fallen. Then I remembered the link said not to pull on the wattles, but just decide where, then cut. Got the right side done. Did the left side, these were thinner than his comb but wider so it was folded when I cut. I think one side is a bit longer than the other, a tiny bit but I left it and got flour on those, too.

There didn't seem to be much red in the snow, which was a relief but there was some on his feathers and I didn't want the hens picking at him. He spoils his ladies and lets them do whatever they want to do to him, very patiently. I decided we'd go inside the house and wash him up a bit in the bathroom.

We got past all the hunting dogs and into the bathroom. I set him on the counter next to the basin, turned on the cold water and got a wash rag. The flour wasn't doing a great job so I kept washing him off and holding the cold wet rag, applying pressure and that took forever so I went to the kitchen to get corn starch.

Brewster shook while I was gone...that one little sentence, said something like "try not to let him shake much..." and I'd like that part highlighted in bold because white beadboard is not fun to wash! The mirror, the counter, the walls, the floor, the beadboard, it all got washed many times. Certainly every time I finished, it was time to do again.

I was talking to Brewster during this ordeal, he didn't say much, he was breathing out his mouth, tipping his head forward so the red ran down his beak and into the basin while the water ran- he is one smart boy!

The cornstarch didn't last long so I ran and got the paper towel roll and came back to see he'd shook again. He'd also pooped a few times and I had the mop bucket handy cause I had him on the floor for a bit, away from the beadboard.

I withheld food all day, but not water, that saved me a lot of mess. But, I'm not sure so many people would have brought him into the bathroom or house to begin with but I kept thinking of L&S getting 10 birds ready for last weekend's show. She must've had hers in the bathroom, too? Right? How else and where else would you wash a bird? I don't know how she or anyone else does that, it took me forever with the rag and water.

I finally put long folded strips of paper towel on top his comb and while he laid down I had the wet wash rag on his chest for his wattles. He slept a lot while I was pretending to be the efficient nurse and housekeeper. When he woke up, he'd stand up and shake and a few times I'd catch him before he shook, only a very few times and put my hand gently on his back shoulders and he'd just lay down again- he's such a great rooster, I'd be washing those walls and mirror right there in his face and he was as gentle as ever, never scolding or threatening, not even riled about the beautiful blond roo looking back at him in the mirror...

I kept washing his head, chest, his beak, checking his nostrils and while he was sleeping he was breathing well thru his nose. It seemed to take hours and finally it seemed a good time to take him back to the coop so once we got past the dogs again, the geese and ducks talked to us as we headed to his coop.

Wouldn't you know it, one of the GLW hens noticed right off the bat? His 7 BO hens and 1 RIR hen were just happy he was back. But the GLW, (there are 4) she kept leaning over and looking with the one eye and was just thinking of pecking at him when I shooed her away and turned off their light which made her forget long enough for me to feed them. They have a big coop divided by chicken wire so the EE's are in the first half of the coop. The Ee's light was still on and after everyone ate, I turned off that light, too, after making sure Brewster was settled on the top rung of the perches.

He still looks like a roo...kind of like when long hair gets cut short. I only took off a bit below where his points were, maybe not enough but I was afraid to take too close to his head. I was exhausted after all that! I think he is, too! Everyone in the coop on both sides, they were all quiet and ready for bed and so was I.

But first I had to take a couple tylenol cause the kids were on their way to share a bit of my DD's 22nd birthday w/me...I pretended nothing out of the ordinary happened but I kept yawning.

I couldn't just put him back out in the coop and have him all red and the coop, too. The girls had fresh straw to dig in before I took him out to do this. He's so beautiful and I want him to sleep comfortably and wake up beautiful. His comb is looking nice and red, healthy- I'll just keep an eye on it while its healing and his demeanor, too. I want him around for a very long time...

(Forgot the camera at work but took pics on the cell, couldn't get the pics to send to my email so will ask son if he can for me.)

 

[the1much]

GREAT JOB !!!!!
not many people would do that "just for a bird"

 

[Poohbear]

Congratulations!! You've earned a big attaboy! Next time wrap the rooster in an old towel (like you roll a taco or burrito) and when you finish dubbing him, gently and quietly put him in a small pen all by himself with feed and water for a day or two. The more you mess with him when you dub, the more he will bleed. Just drop the flour or stypic powder on the head and quietly put him in his pen. Chickens have a natural blood clotting that coagulates quickly if you will put them in a quiet place to calm down after dubbing. Winter winds will never hurt this rooster AGAIN! YEA!!!!!

 

[poussin_noir]

Thanks for posting that snowydiamonds, I feel reassured at your success!
My Roo is getting it done tonight for sure now that I have an extra set of hands and all the stuff ready. I can't wait to provide some relief for this guy I wish I could have done this days ago.
Wish me luck!
I was using an applications of vaseline for weeks but found it did not help at all in this case, to answer you question beautifulbirds.

 

[the1much]

good luck,,, and we KNOW you'll do fine poussin_noir

and i cant see where Vaseline does much but give them soft combs and waddles ,, lol,,,,,,, the next cold day,, go outside with no gloves,, put Vaseline on 1 hand,,,,,, bet theres no differents

 

[poussin_noir]

Quote:
I did try it on my hands after doing his combs and wattles and my hand were just as cold. I think vaseline even though highly recommended provides a false sense of security in these freezing temps.
Another thing the little particles of pine shavings would sometimes stick to his greased up parts and then the hens would pick at him making the problem even worse.
He is not the breed of Roo I would like for this climate but he was a packing peanut and turned out to be quite good natured easily handled and watch full of his flock.
He earns his keep and hopefully he will be happier after this.