Rooster knees

[CrazyCochin]

Hawks... omg... yes. We lost a few small 8 month old chickens to hawks.. and early in spring a few to a fox

The fox might be your answer. Freddy boy could have gotten attacked and the wound infected. (This is just a possibility)

I just recently made like 6 life like "people" scarecrows.... to deter them. Also strung up CDs to catch the sun and confuse them... sprayed 75% vinegar and garlic mixture along fenceline also to deter

I'm impressed!

 

[CrazyCochin]

Have you heard any commotion? Like the chickens being scared? Whoever there is a predator in our area, mainly aerial predators, the chickens make a huge deal out of it. That‘s also how we know the Heron is at our pond.

 

[Punkabear]

The fox might be your answer. Freddy boy could have gotten attacked and the wound infected. (This is just a possibility)

I'm impressed!

There's a few

 

[Punkabear]

Thank everybody for their input... maybe it was fox, or rooster fight.... I just pray it gets better and these antibiotics and cream help. Thank u all who posted

 

[Punkabear]

Have you heard any commotion? Like the chickens being scared? Whoever there is a predator in our area, mainly aerial predators, the chickens make a huge deal out of it. That‘s also how we know the Heron is at our pond.

Yes when I hear commotion I run out there.

 

[CrazyCochin]

Thank everybody for their input... maybe it was fox, or rooster fight.... I just pray it gets better and these antibiotics and cream help. Thank u all who posted

Of course! I would definitely take precautions and assume that’s what happened so you can better protect them, just in case it happens again.
(sometimes praying is all we can do, )

 

[CrazyCochin]

Yes when I hear commotion I run out there.

Thats great!

 

[CrazyCochin]

Thats great!

(Couldn’t think of anything else to say… )

 

[K0k0shka]

I’ve read about rats chewing on chickens’ feet at night while the chickens sleep. The way chickens perch, their toes are under them but the joint you call knees, which are not his knees but actually his heels, stick out behind him and are not covered/protected by anything on the bottom. So a rat could’ve snuck up to him in the dark and tried nibbling on them. The wounds were likely not serious, as he would’ve woken up and shifted position, maybe knocking the rat off the roost in the process. But then the wounds got infected and got worse. Maybe the rat came back and re-injured the raw spots, and now they’re having a hard time healing.

This is just me spinning some theories, I don’t actually know what might have happened. But that sounds plausible. Check your coop for rat-size entry points, and for hiding spots - even if a rat can’t get in at night while the coop is locked up, it could’ve gone in through the pop door during the day and stayed in, and gotten locked in with the chickens. Especially if you leave feed in the coop at night.

P.S. I just saw the pictures again large on a computer screen... Looking at them on my phone I thought that was the back of the legs, now I see it's the front, so my rat theory doesn't hold, as the front would be folded in... I really have no idea then

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What does the back of his legs look like?

This is the front of the legs we are looking at.
Possibly impacted feather follicles, but it's unusual that it would be on both legs at practically the same place.
Could the vet not offer any suggestions?

Even in a fight or attack - it would be odd for the wounds to line up like that.

Cancer comes to mind as well, with all that bubbling raised follicles.

Keep the wounds cleaned with Chlorhexidine, apply very thin triple antibiotic ointment. For this, I think I might would cover/wrap the wounds overnight while he is roosting, just to keep his feathers off the wounds and him cleaner too. Take the wrappings off during the day so the wounds can breath.

There's no lice or mites on him is there?

He's a nice rooster, I hope he recovers.