Rooster bloody tail, being pecked, feathers broken off

[minaayindra]

Yes, I started off with one coop for the 11 I thought were coming in, you know, the one that’s supposed to hold 20? It was obviously too small for the 19 that ended up being my big feathered family so I ordered another one that was far bigger. Then came the guinea hens and their chicken mom, so I got a taller coop for them. 3 coops with a flock split 11 smaller hens, 4 guineas and their “mom”, and the 7 big guys who are in the first coop. So I guess I will go bankrupt buying yet another coop just to handle who I already have. Guess I’ll just have to point out to my husband that we needed a hospital and now this is already set! I won’t talk about all the set-up that will be required for the next one...

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How much would they need? This stinks because the company said it would hold way more than 7.

These are the pictures I finally got- and it was a workout!View attachment 1945589

it’s hard to see but he has tons of long bloody quills sticking up. Irrigation doesn’t get to it and the triple antibiotic ointment was impossible to apply through all those.

And these are my biggest guys... so now I need to find them bigger digs but I spent thousands of dollars on this coop that’s too small, and they certainly won’t take it back. I guess it could become a hospital coop and hold them until I can get a bigger one up here.

He's only 18wks right? Is he that difficult to handle?

What does all of him look like?
Photos of your coop/run may be helpful too - you may just need to add some perches or barriers in your run for daytime so they can get away from one another from time to time.

 

[minaayindra]

He’s a wonderful guy but trying to get pictures in poor lighting, holding him by myself, doesn’t make for great photos. I’ll try again when I have some actual help. Maybe I can get coop photos too-

 

[minaayindra]

So I have started him on the Blu Kote lotion. My husband keeps saying I should return him to the flock but his tail still looks pretty gruesome. Since he has now had Blu Kote put on 3 times, is he safe or will they just pull his tail apart again? I bought not only the Blu Kote spray, which comes tomorrow, but I also just got a delivery of poultry antiseptic sprays which I can use today- we have used up all of our kind neighbors'.

I am getting a significantly larger coop for everyone so that will probably relieve most of these problems but the coop won't be here for at least a month and they will all be inside in the meantime because of winter weather. Thanks Valerie J and Wyorp Rock for pushing me into even more housing (I think- let you know when the bankruptcy people get through with me!).

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So I have started him on the Blu Kote lotion. My husband keeps saying I should return him to the flock but his tail still looks pretty gruesome. Since he has now had Blu Kote put on 3 times, is he safe or will they just pull his tail apart again? I bought not only the Blu Kote spray, which comes tomorrow, but I also just got a delivery of poultry antiseptic sprays which I can use today- we have used up all of our kind neighbors'.

I am getting a significantly larger coop for everyone so that will probably relieve most of these problems but the coop won't be here for at least a month and they will all be inside in the meantime because of winter weather. Thanks Valerie J and Wyorp Rock for pushing me into even more housing (I think- let you know when the bankruptcy people get through with me!).

Hard to say whether they will rip him up or not, you can try it and see, if they attack again, then pull him back out.

Do you have photos of all your pullets and the cockerel?

 

[minaayindra]

I made a vet appt. for him tomorrow. Try as I might, I still can't get his wounds to look better. I let him back in with the hens yesterday and almost every one of them started pecking his wounded area, even the most submissive. Of course, he took his few minutes of freedom to promptly "bed" 3 of the 6 hens, who were horrified! I feel terrible keeping him locked in a kennel in the coop but I don't know what else to do to maintain his safety, hence why I'm going to drive quite a way to get him to the doctor. I do have pictures and videos of all of them but I'd need someone to tell me how to move them from my iPhone to this new PC... getting older and less technologically competent.

 

[minaayindra]

Hard to say whether they will rip him up or not, you can try it and see, if they attack again, then pull him back out.

Do you have photos of all your pullets and the cockerel?

I do have to say Wyorp that the hens who started this massacre were the 2 Barred Rocks... lol

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I made a vet appt. for him tomorrow. Try as I might, I still can't get his wounds to look better. I let him back in with the hens yesterday and almost every one of them started pecking his wounded area, even the most submissive. Of course, he took his few minutes of freedom to promptly "bed" 3 of the 6 hens, who were horrified! I feel terrible keeping him locked in a kennel in the coop but I don't know what else to do to maintain his safety, hence why I'm going to drive quite a way to get him to the doctor. I do have pictures and videos of all of them but I'd need someone to tell me how to move them from my iPhone to this new PC... getting older and less technologically competent.

I do have to say Wyorp that the hens who started this massacre were the 2 Barred Rocks... lol

I don't know anything about moving video/photos from phone to PC - @Texas Kiki may be able to help with that?

Let us know how the vet visit goes.

LOL BR's are nice birds for the most part, but usually don't take a lot of guff. They will calm down a bit once they come into lay.

 

[minaayindra]

Hoping, hoping, hoping that will be soon!

 

[minaayindra]

So Billy went to the vet, was way beyond a perfect gentleman while there and everyone fell in love with him. He had been attacked at the gland opening he pulls the oil from to preen himself. She thinks he might have just pulled a small feather sideways, it drew the attention of my most assertive hen, and once she began working at it the blood drew everyone else. The good news was he had zero infection and the wound looked good (thanks to everyone here who gave such great advice!). He was given pain meds for 3 days and she said he won't have any problem healing, all the shafts sticking out were broken but would grow back, they weren't the kind that keep bleeding. The downside is she does not believe he will ever be able to live with this group of hens again since they have already gone after him. He went back in his infirmary box but we are putting together yet ANOTHER coop to see if he and the terrorist hen would be able to live together in harmony. If not, this practice is so outstanding that they found me two different people who will rehome roosters or hens if requested. Wow! I will let you know how Billy and the terrorist do...