Rooster blood patch on anus/lost tail feathers

[Kstoves]

Hey all,

This is my first post. I have 6 hens and a rooster. The six hens are rhode island reds and the rooster is a polish rooster. I keep them couped up most of the day, and let them free range around the yard the last hour or so of day light.

I've been noticing the past couple weeks a lot of the rooster's tail feathers laying on the ground of the coup. Today I went out, and noticed he now has a huge bloody patch right in the anus area, and he is down to only a couple feathers. I was looking at him, wondering if he might have been attacked while outside the coup, and noticed a couple of the hens run up and peck him in this area right while I was watching. So now I'm thinking this whole thing may have been caused by the hens.

I figured I should probably isolate them, so I let the rooster out of the coup to be on his own in the yard and left the hens inside. Is this a normal thing, or does this sound like a disease? Do you guys have any advice on how to get the rooster healed up and fully feathered again?

I appreciate any advice

 

[Kstoves]

As you can see from the pictures, he's only got 2 tail feathers left. He used to have a lot more. Also, the area definitely looks red and swollen, and I don't think it will be able to get any better if the hens keep pecking at it

 

[AngelzFyre]

You'll need to keep him totally separated from them until his wounds heal up at least. You can spray or apply Blu Kote to the area to keep it from looking bloody and they won't pick at it so much if you don't have somewhere to keep him. Once they see blood, they will keep at it! I'd clean the area with diluted betadine solution, and apply Blu Kote Spray/Lotion or Anti Pick Lotion. Make sure flies can't get to him either with that open wound or they'll lay eggs and maggots will infest it. If it's too raw or looks infected, use some triple antibiotic cream on it and spray around it instead of directly on it. Also Vetricyn Spray works great too on wounds. When the wound heals up, you'll still probably have to keep spray on him or the Anti Pick Lotion so they won't re-injure him or either put him in with some not so aggressive hens. Sounds like he is low on the pecking order in where he is! Good luck and keep posted on how he does and

 

[Kstoves]

Thanks for the help. I'll try buying some Blu Kote Spray today... Not sure where they sell it, but maybe they'll have some at tractor supply where I have bought most of my other animal supplies.

Do you think that by looking at the pictures that this could have been caused by the hens? I'm keeping them seperated anyways, because regardless of what caused it, it isn't going to heal with them picking at it

 

[CLBM4]

U ain't alone just walked out to my coupe and seen the same thing and came here for advice also! Why can't they all just get along?!

 

[Nsampsel]

Definitely a feather picking issue. I have a couple doing this myself right now & just have to keep rotating birds between isolation pens so they don't get picked on so much.

 

[CLBM4]

I had someone recommend furizone, not sure if I'm spelling that right. I was told it works very well though and you should be able to find it at a feed store or tractor supply. I'm going to get some soon so ill repost with updates.