help please with dosage of Penicillin for rooster fight wounds

[Michael Apple]

I knew a guy who had a Rosecomb Bantam rooster and a big Wyandotte rooster. I warned him about it, but he didn't listen. He would let them range together with their own hens. He lived on 5 acres. He had no problems besides an occasional challenge between the two for about a year. One day he came out of the house and found his big, handsome Wyandotte dead from being spurred by the Rosecomb. This is why I have always recommended 1 rooster per flock of hens with their own pen and coop, and rotational ranging between flocks. I've had all sorts of know-it-alls argue with me on this subject. I'm sorry you lost your little buddy. Everyone, including me, have learned the hard way at some point, and we are always learning.

 

[Harry Rooster]

Learn to tube and you will have a much better chance at saving them. It's so easy and safe! Once you do learn, you will kick yourself in the butt for not learning sooner. Will it save all birds? Of course not, but they will not die from dehydration and starvation like so many here on BYC do.

-Kathy

You are so right, I know this is one of the reasons that my rooster didn't make it, since he would not eat or drink since the fight. Don't know if he wasn't able to eat or drink or if he was just too much in pain to try but I couldn't get enough water in him. I even resorted to making a mixture of smoothie veggie with high protein powder mixed to give to him with the syringe (without the needle), but he would only take a small bit of it and couldn't get him to wake up enough to take it. He was almost dead when I found him out there. We were only gone for about 3 or 4 hours grocery shopping, and it may have happened right after we left, don't know, but we thought he was dead when we found him, but he was barely alive and moved his head, I did think he was actually doing better for a while and that I could pull him through. If he had lain there an hour longer, he would have been dead when we found him. I believe that if I could have tube fed him he would have made it though. He would have lost one of his eyes though definitely. I will learn that though. If I can learn to give a shot, I can learn anything!! Since I am terrified of needles and almost faint at the sight of them, but because of my love for my animals, I have been forced to do it, which scared me absolutely to death. Can't tell you how many times I watched that video before I finally bit the bullet and did it! Didn't save him though and wound up giving him 1-/2 cc too much even after all of that, but I know now anyway.

 

[Harry Rooster]

I knew a guy who had a Rosecomb Bantam rooster and a big Wyandotte rooster. I warned him about it, but he didn't listen. He would let them range together with their own hens. He lived on 5 acres. He had no problems besides an occasional challenge between the two for about a year. One day he came out of the house and found his big, handsome Wyandotte dead from being spurred by the Rosecomb. This is why I have always recommended 1 rooster per flock of hens with their own pen and coop, and rotational ranging between flocks. I've had all sorts of know-it-alls argue with me on this subject. I'm sorry you lost your little buddy. Everyone, including me, have learned the hard way at some point, and we are always learning.

Thanks so much Michael, you are so right! I have been warned also. I live on lots of acres also but my baby didn't have any girls of his own and he was just getting to the age to be wanting to fill his oats so to speak. I guess he figured that since Jr has 7 girls that he wouldn't miss 1 anyway, but Jr is not willing to share, and neighter are the hens, since they would holler for Jr whenever the baby would chase one of them that was separated and Jr would come a running to their rescue. That baby was just no match for him, and had stopped running from him like he used to do. He was just determined that he was going to have one of those hens for himself. That where the saying comes from "fighting like 2 roosters in a pen" you just can't have 2 roosters without this happening at some point. You are right!

 

[casportpony]

Michael's right... Doesn't matter, eventually roosters will fight. Some will figure it out on their own, but others will keep at it until one or both are seriously injured. We have seven acres, lots of hens and roosters, and most of them tolerate each other, but every now and then I'll have a couple that will keep at it. I haven't lost any yet, but I do know that someday it might happen.

-Kathy

 

[Harry Rooster]

Yep! I was warned also, but like you, I just thought that it would work out and the baby would realize that Jr. would whip his butt, and he would quit! I guess maybe the type of roosters may also play a part in that also, but everyone has told me that you can't have more than 1 rooster out roaming and free ranging as this will eventually happen. Had I been here, I would have been able to break them up though as I have been since this started. He was just now getting old enough to start that mess, and was even trying to love on his stuffed animal toys!! Guess that wasn't working for him. Saw him doing that several times poor thing. It was funny, but sad too that he couldn't have some girls of his own. I didn't have another pen to put him in and wouldn't have wanted to pen him up anyway, since he lived on my porch and was very happy with that and having his side of the yard to roam around in. He would follow me around on that side of the yard, and Jr didn't come over there on the baby's side, but the baby wouldn't quit going on his side! Hormones just won out and puberty!

 

[Harry Rooster]

I will take a picture of Jr and post it after while so you all can see the culprit of this. He isn't near as pretty as the baby, but they are related, just that the baby takes more after his daddy than Jr does. The baby looks just like his daddy that was killed in an effort to save one of his hens from a predator and taken away. I saw him run down into the woods that day to save his hen and never saw him again, but the hen made it back here, but died since her wounds were way too extensive. My pen is just too small to keep them all penned up all the time and they just will not stay out of those woods since there is so much good food off in there that they like and they like scratching around in those leaves down there. I've tried everything to keep them out of there and they will just not quit going in there!

 

[chicknmania]

. Everyone has their own experience to share. Everyone has different views on how to take care of their birds, and everyone's situations in housing, care, and etc are, or can be, uniquely different. I can honestly say that I'd be absolutely amazed if anyone who did not have their birds' best interest in mind, posted on here to try and figure out how to save them! Figure it out. OK. So getting back to the TOPIC...the cockerel was severely injured, he was not able to survive, and I'm sure everyone's advice on here will help the OP save the next one. Which I know she will try to do the next time she has a sick or injured bird. And having multiple roosters, as I can say from experience, does not necessarily mean they will fight to the death, or fight much at all. We have several roosters. They all respect the Alpha, but we do not have a problem with them fighting to excess, or really, much at all, other than to occasionally chase each other or posture at one another. Maybe it has to do with the breeding or whatever, or because they're a closed flock, idk. But I agree, one or two roosters is best.

 

[centrarchid]

Baby in this instance was a game rooster. That means once he commits to a conflict with another rooster he will not back down even when loosing his life. It is your job as a responsible keeper of poultry to prevent such. When games are involved, when you do not have the resources to keep them separated, then even two is too many.

 

[Michael Apple]

Baby in this instance was a game rooster. That means once he commits to a conflict with another rooster he will not back down even when loosing his life. It is your job as a responsible keeper of poultry to prevent such. When games are involved, when you do not have the resources to keep them separated, then even two is too many.

When ANY roosters are involved, Centrarchid. I agree though. The old saying of "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" applies to many things. Those who encourage others to keep roosters together on this forum only invite these instances time and again. There are enough posts on and off BYC to prove it.

 

[centrarchid]

When ANY roosters are involved, Centrarchid. I agree though. The old saying of "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" applies to many things.

I have games and non-games. Management approaches are very different. Occasionally production / ornamental roosters will commit to death matches. With games it is the rule. I can keep multiple adult male non-games together and often more is better than a small number greater than one. With games, only one.