Need Rooster Help!! Hen is badly injured!

[Masers]

Hello!

We have four chickens—three hens and one rooster. The hen that is at the bottom of the pecking order is very aggressively attacked by the rooster. He is otherwise pretty docile—seems protective of the other two hens, and is gentle and not at all aggressive with us or our kids. However, he has very badly injured the poor hen....he pecks at the back of her head and neck. We finally separated her and put her in a dog kennel for the last couple days in our coop, after realizing that the back of her head was basically just bloody pulp. (Literally I don’t even know how she’s alive!) She is missing many of her feathers from her neck and back, and had been completely ostracized from the other 3 chickens. (They free range and the other 3 are always together, while she is always alone.) However, she otherwise seemed to be healthy and was still laying every day.

We don’t know what to do now. She’s been separated and is hopefully (?) healing in the kennel. (anything we can do to help with the healing process? I honestly don’t even have the words to describe how disgusting and terrible the back of her head looks.) We don’t really want to get rid of the rooster, but feel really bad for the hen and don’t know how to reintroduce her without the rooster becoming very aggressive towards her again. Also worried that he will turn on one of the other two hens at some point.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!!!

 

[BGcoop]

Fashion a helmet for the hen? (Sorry I don’t have any real advice as I’ve never dealt with that. The only aggressive rooster we had was fine with the chickens and not us- so we ate him)

 

[Folly's place]

First, get her wounds healed, and do examine at all of them, at night with a flashlight, looking for mites or lice. Treat them all if you find any on even one bird.
That's a fixable problem that possibly could be part of this story.
General questions first: What are your coop and run dimensions? Do you free range at all? What diet are you feeding? What breeds, and how old are your birds?
If their environment and diet are good, then this poor hen needs to be rehomed, and this rooster is very questionable, at best.
Did he do all that damage, or could it have been a predator, or the other hens?
Mary

 

[Masers]

First, get her wounds healed, and do examine at all of them, at night with a flashlight, looking for mites or lice. Treat them all if you find any on even one bird.
That's a fixable problem that possibly could be part of this story.
General questions first: What are your coop and run dimensions? Do you free range at all? What diet are you feeding? What breeds, and how old are your birds?
If their environment and diet are good, then this poor hen needs to be rehomed, and this rooster is very questionable, at best.
Did he do all that damage, or could it have been a predator, or the other hens?
Mary

thank you! so just look for bugs? What if they do have the,?

coop is good sized. I’m not sure of the exact dimensions, but it is a converted garden shed.

they free range all day. We have an acre yard, and our neighbors are very understanding and nice about letting the chickens kind of roam on their properties, too. Ha.

we give them “all flock” feed, and a little scratch. Sometimes human treats like fruits, veggies, oatmeal, etc.

the rooster and one hen are young...they were born in the summer. So less than a year. The hen that is being attacked and the other one are about four, maybe? Three of them are australorps. The one that is getting attacked is not,but I’m not sure what she is...maybe Delaware?? Idk...she’s a little smaller and is gray.

thanks again!!

 

[Masers]

Fashion a helmet for the hen? (Sorry I don’t have any real advice as I’ve never dealt with that. The only aggressive rooster we had was fine with the chickens and not us- so we ate him)

Hahah yes, I was wondering if I could put a little scarf or hat on her! Helmet is an even better idea!
Really bums me out. He’s a good rooster aside from this, but I sure hate what he’s doing. And I feel really guilty about it. She’s a sweet hen, and honestly she seems bonded to me since she’s been ostracized from the others. She follows me all around and once even landed on my shoulder and hung out there for awhile. None of our other chickens do anything like that! Poor old thing.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

the rooster and one hen are young...they were born in the summer. So less than a year.

He's not a rooster, he's an idiot... er um cockerel already showing questionable behavior.

He is likely doing this because she refused to accept him as a dominant mate. At least that is what I have seen in the past.

She deserves to live the rest of her life in peace..

If it's the lesser of the evils as far as decisions go... I'm sorry but she sounds like a worthy hen and he sounds replaceable.

 

[Folly's place]

I have zero tolerance for cock birds or cockerels who attack humans, or who injure hens or pullets. He's a looser in my book, and would make a nice crock pot dish for some family.
Even if this hen has a health issue (and she might) this is really bad behavior on his part.
Grow some chicks this year and find a nicer cockerel!
Mary

 

[Masers]

Ugh, thank you, guys. It REALLY stinks, because he’s a good Rooster other than this. I guess that means he’s not a good rooster.

So...is the general consensus that we should remove the rooster? (we’re not going to kill it, but we know a couple other people with larger chicken operations, who might be willing to take him??)

 

[Swilso3]

I have zero tolerance for cock birds or cockerels who attack humans, or who injure hens or pullets. He's a looser in my book, and would make a nice crock pot dish for some family.
Even if this hen has a health issue (and she might) this is really bad behavior on his part.
Grow some chicks this year and find a nicer cockerel!
Mary

This same thing happened to my frizzle hen who has always lived happily laying amond my flock. My young Lavender Rooster wont get another chance if he harms another of my hens. Her head and back are a mess. I put bag balm on it and treated her for shock. Shes in with a chick now and happily alive tho she quit laying.

 

[diamondsilkies]

To treat her wounds and prevent them from being infected, gently rinse out with water. Then I recommend getting some Hibiclens/chlorhexidine, mixing that with water, and rinsing the wound again. Rinse the soap out with more water and apply some Neosporin. Repeat every day until the wound closes up. Keep an eye out for signs of infection (hot skin, pus, sickly symptoms).

As for the rooster, it does sound like you should get rid of him. Once birds turn on other birds to the point of serious injury, it's not easy to fix.