My poor Rooster!! Help please!

[steffpeck]

My hens keep picking at his comb and making it bleed, then they are drawn to the blood and pick him like crazy. I have seperated him 2 times before to heal and then put him back in and the last time it seemed that they were done, he was back to being the rooster and doing his roosterly duties. Well, now they have moved onto his wattles and when I went out this morning, his whole chest was covered in blood, they had pecked his wattles and they were bleeding so bad and then they were picking at his chest where the blood was and some of his chest was bleeding. I brought him in the house and washed him off and have him seperated from the rest of the hens to heal. Why do they do this? and how can I make it stop??

 

[Chickaroo!]

Awww, that's sad

I think there's something called NO-Pick, although I'm not positive, that you could put on him. Maybe they will leave him alone then? I wonder if after he heals real good if you could spray some Bitter Apple on his comb/wattles?

 

[chickflick]

I've never had this problem, so don't know how to help you. Why would they be picking on him? Is he docile? I hope someone will come along that has dealt with this. good luck

 

[Wynette]

I think you need to first let him heal, and then find something they don't like - I've heard of people using Bag Balm - it needs to taste NASTY to them, and be diligent about swathing his wattles & comb with it before putting him back in, and then repeat the procedure until they get out of the habit of pecking at them. He may just be too docile of a roo for your girls, unfortunately. GOOD LUCK!

 

[AngelzFyre]

I had that happen with one of my buff orpington roos at the beginning of this year, so badly in fact that they pulled a piece almost out of his comb! I had to take the piece off since it was hanging by just a thread.
I ended up getting him out and cleaning his comb off with diluted betadine, drying it off, and then I put Wonder Dust on the open area and then I started daubing blu-kote on it all. For some reason they don't pick at the darker color like they do the blood and it healed up great, albeit a bit funny looking. Note..the blu-cote has to wear off..it doesn't just rub off. AND...it stains clothes,hands!
I would've thought the other roo did it all until I witnessed the aggressors myself.

Make sure the hens have something else to do, maybe hang some cabbage or something up where they have to pick at it for a good part of the day and leave the poor guy alone.

 

[dlhunicorn]

you will have to keep him separated until all is totally healed. Just in case it is related to some nutritional/vit deficiency , you can best give a good general complete supplement like AviaCharge 2000 (purchase online from McMurray or Strombergs) ... set out some live culture yogurt in a separate bowl free choice would also be a good idea. Are they penned? Give them somehting else to peck>>>a watermelon>>>they love that! (sco o p out a bit out of the center and use it as a bowl for their feed or the yogurt)

 

[steffpeck]

Yes, he is a very docile roo! Is it possible that the hens have put him as lowest on the pecking order? I have noticed that since I put him back in after the last time I had to seperate him because they were picking on his comb, that he does not roost on the roost at night anymore, he sleeps in the corner of the coop. And there is plently of room for all of them on there, so I know that is not the problem.

I have 10 hens and Oppie my Dominique Roo in there now. The coop area is 8 x 12 and the run is about 20 x 30 with lots of alfalfa and grass and bugs, plus they get scratch and free choice oyster shell in addition to their layer pellets and there is water both in the coop and in the run.

So have they banished him to the corner??

 

[Elchick]

I had a similar problem, except my birds were pecking at one's butt until it bled like crazy. She was also kicked off the roost. I separated her from the others, cleaned her up, and put neosporin on all the open wounds. After she healed I put blu kote on her butt and put her back in the flock. They have not bugged her since. Up until yesterday, she was the queen of the flock and has had the best roost since then.

 

[njchicks]

Can anyone tell me what blu kote is? I have a problem with a very docile rooster right now. I intend to separate him today, and have already put neosporin on his wounds. What is the purpose of the blu kote? Rob from NJ

 

[LynneP]

Blu-Kote is primarily sold as a wound treatment for horses, but is used on many livestock to disinfect and in poultry to turn a wound a different color to make it less likely to get pecked. It is also uselful for other skin infections/irritations. A product specifically for poultry is called No-Peck.

These products are usually found at tack shops, pet shops, co-ops, feed mills and chains like Tractor Supply. Occasionally local hardware stores stock some agricultural remedies, too.

www.allivet.com/Dr-Naylor-Blu-Kote-p/11099.htm