Rescued Roo from next door (now known as Larry) (pics on post #30)

[GlitterKitty]

Aww, that poor rooster! I would so take him if I lived closer.

That is so kind of you to take him in, and really, there is no way you can keep him??

Also I read a blog post about a broiler rooster that looked like him. They had rescued it too, as soon as I get on my own computer I could post it.

Good luck!

 

[seminolewind]

Thedoors5to1-thanks for all the info and advice, I'm going to contact them and see what guidelines they have.

Coretta, I will probably end up keeping him, I don't know if he would survive back there, or if he's going to survive at all, I have him on a diet, but he ran around today, and his comb and wattles turned like a berry color.
But, I think he's happy in general. Makes those content noises.

 

[kimb]

God Bless you for saving him - he looks a sweet "little" guy! ... with that many roosters I think spca/fish & game might be able to do something ... animals killing animals at the will of our hands is punishable by law ... I would think they'd take the matter almost as seriously as cock-fighting only w.out the gambling/betting thing going on too. (at least I would if I were an officer). x(

Hopefully his weight comes down quickly so as not to have any permananent problems ... if you can't keep him come time, could you just offer to "rehome" him to someone responsible for your neighbors - they obviously don't care about their well being - I don't think I'd be able to bring him back if I were you.

Dumb & careless people are so frustrating! ... you've done what you can do ! just remember that and try not to get too upset you do have to "live" with these people and the rest of us don't x( ! ...

Keep up the good work! and I'm sending get well soon vibes to Larry!

 

[seminolewind]

Today I tended to Larry's wounds. I sprayed Blue-Kote on all his raw parts, there were 2 more raw patches under his wings, and something else really gross that I discovered- his winds have been gnawed off. I wondered why his wings were short. I don't know how much has been chewed off, but you can see the ends of the wing bones. Oh my Gawd. My neighbor had said to me a few days ago that this big mole keeps getting into their coop. I guess it's not a mole.

An hour or so after I treated him, I was cleaning up around the coop and Larry just flipped out, flapping and hobbling all over his pen, and trying to wedge himself behind the dog house that's in the pen . He got out of the pen into the next pen, and ran into the other dog house (I have a large coop but I have 2 dog houses when I need to separate someone or an injured chicken). He ran into the dog house, and would not come out. I'm wondering if he saw a rat. I don't know, there was nothing else there. And I set up some traps.

Does anyone know how much feed he needs to have per day? I do want him to lose some weight, but I want to feed him enough.

 

[thedoors5to1]

"...and something else really gross that I discovered- his winds have been gnawed off. I wondered why his wings were short. I don't know how much has been chewed off, but you can see the ends of the wing bones"
oh my god poor larry. how could something like that happen. thats sickening to even try to picture thank you for saving him from hell next door. geesh.
i dont know how much food a chicken needs as i have ducks, but i just give them a bowl thats almost always filled to the brim. they take what they want/need.
hopefully some one with chickens could answer.
best wishes for larry

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
I can't let him eat all day because he's a cornish X, super fat, has leg problems already, and his comb and wattles turn a real dark red sometimes. (red?) He needs to lose some weight. I've been giving him about a cup of food twice a day. Plus an apple or something during the day for him to pick on.

I was just reading that rats will generally gnaw away on a chicken usually underneath, which is where he is raw. I'm going to have to tell these neighbors (I hate them) that rats are chewing on their chickens. Those people are constantly throwing leftovers, etc in the pen, lots of it. And his chickens throw feed everywhere. I have never in my life ever seen chickens that were chewed on til now.

 

[poultrypatch]

POOR LARRY !!! Can't imagine how bad that rat problem must be if they're eating live chickies !!! Especially when it sounds like, I HOPE, that Larry out weighs them !
Personally the rat problem they are creating is enuff of a reason to call the board of health and just report the whole thing. I'd show them wingtipless Larry !
Last year we had an elderly lady on the Boston news. She was feeding pigeons and squirrels in HER yard....but attracting tons of rats. The neighbors complained and got a court order to make her stop feeding.
I think instead of feeding Larry a cup of food twice a day I'd try a heaping HALF cup 3 times a day and perhaps his apple later. Small meals eaten more often keep you more satisfied. I'm NOT a chicken expert...never made one diet... )
Best of luck
Liz
Rochester, MA

 

[seminolewind]

Thanks. I will talk to the neighbors about it. Then if it doesn't change, call the animal control.
With the feed, maybe I'm going to have to measure out how much 16 chickens eat all together and divide that number by 16. Larry is really grossly fat. So I'm thinking he needs the amount that a large normal chicken would eat.

 

[thedoors5to1]

not to make you think anymore, but. do rats climb trees? i thought i remembered you saying they roost in trees all day because of the dark creepy dog house...
just a thought. i mean, i just dont know much bout rats, and didnt see them climbing tree's....

either way its good to have some sort of idea of what your dealing with. you've obviously taken alot of time and consideration as to what could be causing Larry's ailments.
i hope none of the others are as bad as him..
its really sick to think of a chicken being eaten alive in his sleep... or maybe when he comes down to feed, they feed too.
i just dont understand why they'd be eating the chickens underside if theres scraps of food around.. seems like a much easier task for a rat to take whats available. i saw a post on here where someones roo's killed a red tailed hawk, and if this is the source of his problems why he wouldnt of done the same to a rat that only has teeth... not claws, razor sharp beak and wings to carry you up and away..

and poultry patch is right, eating small meals is better. it keeps you feeling fuller, longer.. and therefor he's not starving by the time of the next meal, which means he'd gorge, eating way more than he needs. i know first hand as i have hypoglycemia and have to eat small meals every 3-4 hours a day or i pass out from low blood sugar.

maybe try telling them of the rat problem. and some solutions... as in not throwing too much food out, or do it all at once so it isnt lying around festering... cant be too good for them to eat it after its been sitting around... not to mention the fact that if thier touching or eating things that rats touched theres multitudes of diseases they are becoming susceptible too.... ick rats are so gross.
also as a last thought, they could set up some traps, humane (or not), with food scraps... or maybe if they have a really messy yard (not pointing fingers as i do not know) to pick up thier yard because rats can make a home under anything... a tarp, a small wood pile.etc
if you did traps, you'd know off the bat if the problems rats.

 

[La Mike]

To siminolewind

Patience and true virtue does BLESS you.


I personally would have lost it with them by now.