Rooster killed a Hen

[LarryBirds]

I went out to feed the chickens this evening and one of my girls was missing a lot of feathers and was fairly bloody on the back of her head and neck. I wasn't sure what happened when suddenly the roo attacked her twice and I could see blood flowing from the back of her neck. I raced in to save her and noticed chunks of skin missing. Poor thing was still out there trying to eat her dinner like that. So in put her in our containment pen in the barn. Not sure why my roo attacked. Anyone have any ideas

 

[SourRoses]

You said he killed her, or is she still in the containment pen?

Either way, he has failed as a rooster. He should not be given the opportunity to hurt more of your hens or the hens of someone else. There are no reasons good enough. Make him into food.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I went out to feed the chickens this evening and one of my girls was missing a lot of feathers and was fairly bloody on the back of her head and neck. I wasn't sure what happened when suddenly the roo attacked her twice and I could see blood flowing from the back of her neck. I raced in to save her and noticed chunks of skin missing. Poor thing was still out there trying to eat her dinner like that. So in put her in our containment pen in the barn. Not sure why my roo attacked. Anyone have any ideas

Please post photos of her injuries.
She will need to be treated. General care is to clean the wounds well with saline or chlorhexidine, then apply triple antibiotic ointment.

How old is the hen?
Does she lay eggs?
Has she acted off in any way? You may want to check her over thoroughly to see if she has any other injuries, lice/mites and that her crop is emptying overnight.

Get her hydrated and eating as well. Some sugar water or electrolytes to get her through shock.
It's possible that she may be sick, but I've never had a rooster attack a sick hen. But I've had one that did decide to just attack a certain hen all of a sudden.
Caused a lot of damage to the hen and a lot of stress within the flock. The girls seemed to be relieved and at peace once he was culled.

Sorry that you are dealing with this.

 

[ChickNanny13]

It must have been very upsetting, glad you were able to save her, now to tend to her wounds. @Wyorp Rock 2X IMO there is no excuse for your roo to attack the hen, he needs to go to "freezer camp" for sure.

 

[nuthatched]

What are the details of your set up? Feed, space, age of birds, new birds etc.

 

[LarryBirds]

You said he killed her, or is she still in the containment pen?

Either way, he has failed as a rooster. He should not be given the opportunity to hurt more of your hens or the hens of someone else. There are no reasons good enough. Make him into food.

I saved her. He was trying to end her. I'm wondering if she has a disease or something.

 

[SourRoses]

I saved her. He was trying to end her. I'm wondering if she has a disease or something.

Okay, good work, I hope she makes it!

She likely wasn't holding still for mating, and he kept pulling on her neck feathers the way juvenile cockerels do when trying to "catch" a hen... then her feathers came out and he saw blood.
If a hen was bleeding for another reason, say a failed predator attack, it's completely against nature for the rooster to try to finish her off. He should want her to live as long as she can to hatch his offspring.

 

[LarryBirds]

What are the details of your set up? Feed, space, age of birds, new birds etc.

What are the details of your set up? Feed, space, age of birds, new birds etc.

I have 1 splash ayem cemani roo, and 8 assorted hens. I've done nothing different with feed or space for a long time. Nothing like this has ever happened. Birds range from 1-3 years old

 

[microchick]

Sorry that you are going through this. Keeping chickens is a challenge and roosters can be real....um rectal sphincters when they are so enclined.

Several years ago I had two juvenile cockerels, not big birds, kill by breeding one of my bantam hens. First time I ever had that problem as my flock is mixed sizes and all got along well enough. I caught them in the act and they had stripped all of her feathers off of her. It broke my heart as the little hen was one of my favorites.

No hesitation. I brought both roosters out of the coop and sent them straight to freezer camp where they were delicious.

Attacking a hen and almost killing her just to 'teach her how to be a submissive hen' is not normal rooster behavior in my humble opinion. Sure all young roosters are jerks. They will grab a hen by the feathers and try to hold onto her other than dancing and courting her properly. But when a rooster turns a good time into violence to the point that he damages a hen, nope, kick him out of that coop. He's going to do it again to some other poor hen.

If you don't want to dispatch him, put him in a pen by himself or with another rooster for company. A bachelor pen per say. I have two bachelor pens, One for 5 boys and the other for around 6 or 7 currently. Then hens are happier with the roosters that I let stay in the pen and the boys are well...frustrated but alive.

 

[David61]

She may have been hurt and bleeding from something else then being pushed out of the flock?