Need Help Please

[kahi00]

We were just given a rooster that needed rescue. We are pretty new to raising chickens (less than a year) and am not sure what to do. We think the rooster is probably 6-8 months old, but not sure. We don't know anything about the rooster or where he came from. He seems friendly but skittish. Looks like the comb has been cut and the outer toe on each leg is curled. He seems to get around okay, but often stands on only one leg when still. Not the smartest thing we've done, but we went ahead and put him in with 5 of our hens (11 month old RIR) and the rooster is getting pecked a lot and often winds up alone, hiding in the coop looking scared. I know that it takes time for them the readjust the pecking order, but does anyone have any suggestions. We don't have a separate area to keep him in so separating them isn't really an option. Looks like he's had a rough life so far and we would love to give him a nice home, but don't want to lose our hens or have them keep pecking and harassing him. Any advise would be helpful. Also, just for my info.... why would someone cut off his comb?

 

[chicmom]

Hello-

Well, truth be told, it does take a while for new chickens to be accepted into the flock. Look at his legs. Does he have spurs yet? If you see just lumps there, or very small spurs, chances are, you're right about his age and he is young. A younger rooster will be more timid, that's for sure.

I would recommend putting him in a cage, where the hens can see him, but not touch him. This way, they'll get used to looking at him, plus, you can give him food and water separately from the hens, so that way you can make sure he has plenty to eat so he can gain strength. Also, he would definitely benefit by having some vitamins/electrolites in his drinking water.

Now, there is a procedure called dubbing, where, for showing purposes, a person will cut off the comb and wattles of a chicken. I personally would never do that, but it's often done on certain breeds, like Modern Games, for example.

Crooked toes could be genetic, or that could have happened when he was a chick. Their toes are kind of delicate, and they could have broken, and healed crooked. If it's genetic, and you hatch some babies fathered by him, then you could have chicks with crooked toes too.

Maybe you could post a pic. We would love to have a look. Good luck with him and I hope he turns out to be a nice rooster for you,

Sharon