Need Rooster Help!! Hen is badly injured!

[NatJ]

I'm thinking you may have to choose between the rooster and that hen, and only keep one of the two.

After the hen heals up, you could try re-introducing her to just the other hens (with the rooster penned seperately.)

If the hen can re-integrate with the other hens, I would keep all the hens and get rid of the rooster.

If the other hens will not tolerate this hen even after she's healed, then I would get rid of her (re-home or butcher), and might give the rooster another chance. (But if he ever injured another hen, he would be completely out of chances, at least with me.)

 

[Masers]

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.

She seems really submissive to him. We’ve watched him mate with her and he is very aggressive and pecks her necks hard while doing so, which is different from the other hens. She is clearly very scared of him and avoids him as much as possible, however.

 

[Masers]

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.

Would hydrogen peroxide or betadine work? and like a more natural healing balm? Because that’s all we have at home right now. We can get other stuff, if needed! I’ll have to see if my husband will do it, though, because both of us are really squeamish with stuff like this. Ha.
thank you for the advice!

 

[Masers]

I'm thinking you may have to choose between the rooster and that hen, and only keep one of the two.

After the hen heals up, you could try re-introducing her to just the other hens (with the rooster penned seperately.)

If the hen can re-integrate with the other hens, I would keep all the hens and get rid of the rooster.

If the other hens will not tolerate this hen even after she's healed, then I would get rid of her (re-home or butcher), and might give the rooster another chance. (But if he ever injured another hen, he would be completely out of chances, at least with me.)

Thank you, that’s a good idea. Do you think we could keep the rooster in the dog kennel, or is that cruel? (I imagine he’d be crowing night and day in there!) And if so, how long? We just don’t really have many options of how to keep them separate.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

She seems really submissive to him. We’ve watched him mate with her and he is very aggressive and pecks her necks hard while doing so, which is different from the other hens. She is clearly very scared of him and avoids him as much as possible, however.

Writings on the wall... He IS an abusive bastard that HAS to GO!

I agree with Mary.. and that type of (stupidity) behavior is NEVER tolerated at my place either.

If you use peroxide, do so only for the initial cleaning as it damages good tissue also. Once you cleaned it up, just leave it alone and let the body work it's healing magic! Good nutrition is the best thing you can do for her. As long as she is eating and drinking.. she will heal faster than we think possible! I had a duckling completely recover from being scalped by a raccoon.

If you use betadine, it need to be rinsed afterward.. again it causing drying, itching, and damage to good tissue.. The body will produce it's own antibiotics.

ETA: chlorhexadine used at .05% should still be rinsed with water..
https://www.nursingtimes.net/clinic...-and-what-solution-should-be-used-20-08-2018/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17108769

ETAA: when you do reintroduce her to the other ladies, you might still need to use look but don't touch for a short time to be successful.

 

[Masers]

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

I knowwww. It just stinks. My 5 year old ADORES the rooster (which is “his” bird), and like I said, he really is good with the other hens, with us, with our other pets, etc.
And he definitely protects the two hens. WHY does he have to be such a rotten nasty bully to one of them?! UGH!

 

[Masers]

Writings on the wall... He IS an abusive bastard that HAS to GO!

I agree with Mary.. and that type of (stupidity) behavior is NEVER tolerated at my place either.

If you use peroxide, do so only for the initial cleaning as it damages good tissue also. Once you cleaned it up, just leave it alone and let the body work it's healing magic! Good nutrition is the best thing you can do for her. As long as she is eating and drinking.. she will heal faster than we think possible! I had a duckling completely recover from being scalped by a raccoon.

If you use betadine, it need to be rinsed afterward.. again it causing drying, itching, and damage to good tissue.. The body will produce it's own antibiotics.

So do you think just rinsing with water is adequate, then?

Thanks. I know we shouldn’t accept it. We just kept hoping it would stop. Very naive of us.

 

[NatJ]

Thank you, that’s a good idea. Do you think we could keep the rooster in the dog kennel, or is that cruel? (I imagine he’d be crowing night and day in there!) And if so, how long? We just don’t really have many options of how to keep them separate.

That could be an option, yes. I can't judge whether it's cruel to keep the rooster in the dog kennel--depends on the size of the dog kennel, the way the rooster reacts, whether you let him out for exercise each day, your own personal definition of cruelty. For myself, the bother of caring for a rooster in an extra pen would make me get rid of him long before I would consider the situation cruel.

Or you could just decide not to tolerate the rooster because of what he's already done, and re-home him without waiting to see what happens after the hen heals.

 

[Masers]

That could be an option, yes. I can't judge whether it's cruel to keep the rooster in the dog kennel--depends on the size of the dog kennel, the way the rooster reacts, whether you let him out for exercise each day, your own personal definition of cruelty. For myself, the bother of caring for a rooster in an extra pen would make me get rid of him long before I would consider the situation cruel.

Or you could just decide not to tolerate the rooster because of what he's already done, and re-home him without waiting to see what happens after the hen heals.

Thanks. That’s the way I’m leaning after reading all these responses. Sigh!

 

[Folly's place]

Neosporin is good, or Silvadene, which is often better, but RX only. If she is doing well, that's great, and out there near the other hens would be nice when possible. If it's warm where you live, and any flies at all are out there, then she needs to be inside until those wounds are closed, because maggots are way worse!!!
Your cockerel is young and may get nastier too...
Mary