I went to take care of my breeding pen today and found my sizzle rooster bloody and battered! 
He is usually very outgoing and is top dog in the coop but was huddling alone when I went out. It was dark already and there is no light out there but I noticed and picked him up and brought him inside thinking maybe he was just sick but I was horrified. His poor face and comb were all red and black from dried blood, his eyes were swollen shut and the dried blood had caked them shut as well. His feathers were all ripped out of the top of his neck, the dried blood was making it hard for him to breath too. I held a wet warm rag over his face for a while, an that got his eyes open and he is more alert now that he can see. His right eye looks fine but the left one looks a little gunky.
I have no clue what happened. I went back out when I was done with him to look an see who he was fighting with, which was my first assumption, and everyone looks fine. There are other roosters in the pen but they have always gotten along. Not a single feather looks out of place on anyone else. And I'll add that the rooster that got beat up would definitely defend himself and take a few chunks out of his attacker. I'm wondering if some small critter got in the coop and he tried to protect his flock and maybe got his face gnawed on in the process..? I also checked his chest and belly for spur marks and there are none.. :/
My camera on my phone doesn't work but I'll try and get pictures tomorrow if I can steal the husbands phone. Hoping for a speedy recovery..
Any first aid tips? Should I put him on antibiotics in his water just in case?
He is usually very outgoing and is top dog in the coop but was huddling alone when I went out. It was dark already and there is no light out there but I noticed and picked him up and brought him inside thinking maybe he was just sick but I was horrified. His poor face and comb were all red and black from dried blood, his eyes were swollen shut and the dried blood had caked them shut as well. His feathers were all ripped out of the top of his neck, the dried blood was making it hard for him to breath too. I held a wet warm rag over his face for a while, an that got his eyes open and he is more alert now that he can see. His right eye looks fine but the left one looks a little gunky.I have no clue what happened. I went back out when I was done with him to look an see who he was fighting with, which was my first assumption, and everyone looks fine. There are other roosters in the pen but they have always gotten along. Not a single feather looks out of place on anyone else. And I'll add that the rooster that got beat up would definitely defend himself and take a few chunks out of his attacker. I'm wondering if some small critter got in the coop and he tried to protect his flock and maybe got his face gnawed on in the process..? I also checked his chest and belly for spur marks and there are none.. :/
My camera on my phone doesn't work but I'll try and get pictures tomorrow if I can steal the husbands phone. Hoping for a speedy recovery..
Any first aid tips? Should I put him on antibiotics in his water just in case?
