Rehabbing severely pecked rooster- suggestions?

[Phillyndilly]

Hello everyone, I was recently searching the array of Roos on Craigslist because a friend of mine wanted one. I came across Benjamin. He’s a frizzle who was being severely pecked and abused by an extremely large rooster the people had just gotten.
He actually looks really good in the picture but all his wing feathers are completely cracked off on both wings as well as his tail. He has a lot of feather shafts without feathers so they feel like little wires on his body and neck. Extremelyyyyy underweight.

He is very peppy and terrified of me of course I’ve been giving him food he doesn’t seem to be eating too much- scrambled eggs, strawberries, regular pellets. I’m not sure if it’s just because he’s so afraid. He’s in my chicken hospital alone.
Yesterday I held him for a while and we sat outside I haven’t shown him the other chickens because idk if it will make him more nervous.
I’m now giving him my baby Turkey crumble since it’s very high protein mixed w hard boiled egg yolks. Doesn’t really seem to be eating that either.

Any suggestions to help calm him/ get him used to me as well as get him eating? Should I lay off the handling I just want to get him used to it but I don’t want to give him a heart attack since he’s fragile.

 

[Yardmom]

Keep him separated until you are sure he is healthy. Holding him is adding to his stress. It is probably not comfortable being touched on the feathers that are not grown out. It also takes a lot of handling before a chicken is comfortable being picked up. There is a good chance he has never been picked up before.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Hello everyone, I was recently searching the array of Roos on Craigslist because a friend of mine wanted one. I came across Benjamin. He’s a frizzle who was being severely pecked and abused by an extremely large rooster the people had just gotten.
He actually looks really good in the picture but all his wing feathers are completely cracked off on both wings as well as his tail. He has a lot of feather shafts without feathers so they feel like little wires on his body and neck. Extremelyyyyy underweight.

He is very peppy and terrified of me of course I’ve been giving him food he doesn’t seem to be eating too much- scrambled eggs, strawberries, regular pellets. I’m not sure if it’s just because he’s so afraid. He’s in my chicken hospital alone.
Yesterday I held him for a while and we sat outside I haven’t shown him the other chickens because idk if it will make him more nervous.
I’m now giving him my baby Turkey crumble since it’s very high protein mixed w hard boiled egg yolks. Doesn’t really seem to be eating that either.

Any suggestions to help calm him/ get him used to me as well as get him eating? Should I lay off the handling I just want to get him used to it but I don’t want to give him a heart attack since he’s fragile.

How is he? He looks like a frazzle, which have extremely brittle feathers (a frazzle is a bird with two copies of the frizzle gene). I would not put him with another rooster, as one scuffle could cause a lot of damage to his feathers. I’m guessing that’s what happened at his previous home.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Hello everyone, I was recently searching the array of Roos on Craigslist because a friend of mine wanted one. I came across Benjamin. He’s a frizzle who was being severely pecked and abused by an extremely large rooster the people had just gotten.
He actually looks really good in the picture but all his wing feathers are completely cracked off on both wings as well as his tail. He has a lot of feather shafts without feathers so they feel like little wires on his body and neck. Extremelyyyyy underweight.

He is very peppy and terrified of me of course I’ve been giving him food he doesn’t seem to be eating too much- scrambled eggs, strawberries, regular pellets. I’m not sure if it’s just because he’s so afraid. He’s in my chicken hospital alone.
Yesterday I held him for a while and we sat outside I haven’t shown him the other chickens because idk if it will make him more nervous.
I’m now giving him my baby Turkey crumble since it’s very high protein mixed w hard boiled egg yolks. Doesn’t really seem to be eating that either.

Any suggestions to help calm him/ get him used to me as well as get him eating? Should I lay off the handling I just want to get him used to it but I don’t want to give him a heart attack since he’s fragile.

I seem to be becoming into a rooster person more than a flock person. Roosters are very curious creatures to me. Not much about them seems to be known because the option has always seemed to be ‘kill them’ when some difficulty arises with them. I think I somehow took it upon myself to learn more about them. I have a rooster bachelor pad and I spend more time with them than any of my other flocks.
So, the fact yes not eating is a rooster thing. A rooster would GLADLY starve to death just to have a hen or two. Heck, they’d even die for them, unless they saw a way to be #2 roo and mate quietly on the side if that option was possible. But I digress, my point is, with roosters SEX is more of what makes them ‘alive’ than eating. Plus, being competitive and finding a stable place in the flock is also MORE to them than eating food. With hens, food is pretty dang “the thing” they’re after. Status is second. Sex, only when wanting to brood. So rooster behavior is different then hens.
So, I’m not exactly sure why I said all that, other than to denote, he probably won’t eat too much anyway until he feels safe in a hierarchal placement. I have one roo that had placement, got beaten up (and thus displaced entirely) and he still won‘t eat much for me. The more I work with him spend more time with him, the less afraid he gets and the more he will eat when he’s hungry rather than holding back....cuz ya know, he’s just got to be hungry. Those roos that were beaten up- they are stressed to the max because it’s like their life meaning is in severe question. Most old roos that were once the big kahuna and get displaced or run off, die..because from lowered immune from stress and, dare I say it...grief!
You didn’t mention it here, but if you have hens, it may be beneficial for him to let him have access them. (If they will have him..sometimes even hens aren’t too pleased). Even then, he may not eat since he’d be doing this for the hen’s sake, giving them his food. If there are no hens, I recommend just spending time in a way that lets him know you’re not going to come after him if he tries to eat. He needs to see this repeatedly. As far as his injuries go- (feather loss) that should heal up fine. Try to give him food rich in nutrients, maybe add some protein (for the feathers). I held mine (the one that got beaten up) and would pet and groom him, but he already knew me, so that might not be an option as yours does not know you at all. Birds are soothed by being blanketed and warm. So just try and see what works. I’m not sure if just leaving him be is the best. It’s good to get your bird accustomed to you, but it takes time. Always be gentle, but be firm if he acts up. anything perceived as aggression will have a roo answering back with aggression. A roo generally speaking will become your pal if he knows you’re absolutely the one in power unquestionably AND that you’re benevolent towards him (Not hitting kicking or even screaming or flailing around them).

You didn’t say... Is he to be a pet, or protector for a flock?

 

[Tonyroo]

Most chickens don't like being held, especially with strangers. Your better off focusing on his nutritional needs and see that he is healthy before mingling with other chickens.

Making a small batch of feed mash might help him to eat. Skip the other treats he doesn't seem ready for it. If you can find a cricket or moth, give him that as a treat.