Rooster Tail bleeding and raw *HELP*

[JB Farms]

Hi everyone! We are new backyard chicken owners for about 6 months now (18 chickens total). We have 1 rooster (golden polish) and he is not doing so well. His tail has lost most of his tail feathers, red raw skin and bleeding. He also has dark scabs as well. You can also see the feather shafts as well. We've been treating him with dust and provided a dust bath as well because we thought it was mites. He only seems to be getting worse and now our hen of the same breed is starting to bald as well. They do sit butts to butts in the coop.

We aren't sure what to do next or if anyone has seen this before? We are very worried about him and his pain level. We've started a pain control of 5 aspirin to 1 gallon of water only a few times a week. We are also separating his as well because we are not sure if the hens are plucking him.

Any advice would be great!

 

[azygous]

First of all, could you please re-post the photos and select "full size all images"? That will permit us to zoom in and see the areas of concern more closely.

You say you been chicken keepers for six months but what are the ages of your chickens? That's critical information.

How large in square feet is your coop? How about the run? Eighteen chickens should have a minimum of 72 square feet of coop space and 180 square feet of run. Anything less will increase the likelihood of conflict and feather picking and cannibalism can result.

Have you observed the chickens and how they relate to one another? Do you see this little Polish roo being chased and kept away from the feeder? Do you have more than the one rooster?

You can give him aspirin, but it's best to dose only him, not the whole flock in their water. It's easy enough to pop a baby aspirin tablet (81grain) into his beak twice a day.

 

[JB Farms]

Thanks for your reply. My apologies for the photos, I thought I selected full image. First time here but I have selected full image after selecting "Upload File". I hope that works.

• The rooster is around 7-8 months old.
• I'll have to get the square feet of the coop, but I do believe we are under the minimum so we will quickly expand. They are free range for the most part during the day, but we will expand the enclosed run as well with the addition. I did read about the cannibalism recently in wondered if it had to do with the stress of space.
• No signs of damage elsewhere or from another animal. Continues to eat and drink regularly and calls at all times of the night. Could that be from them picking on him??
• Chickens get along great from what we have observed. We don't see them pecking at one another when they are free range. However, I imagine it must be happening in the coop. The rooster lets all the hens eat and they let him eat as well. I would say we have a few dominant hens with whom he does not try to touch. He is also not interested in any chicken outside of the original group we purchased him with. We've integrated successfully, he just has little to no interest in them physically and are they interested in him.
• He is the only rooster.

Thank you for the note on the aspirin as well. We've been giving it to him and to the hen of the same breed because she seems to be losing feathers and is somewhat raw also. Its also Fall here in MA so i'm not sure if molting is a factor as well. I continue to heavily research and learn.

 

[JB Farms]

I dont believe I am uploading the photos correctly. I choose "Upload file" then selects "make all images full sized" and then it just attaches them within the note. Any guidance is greatly appreciated.

 

[azygous]

 

[azygous]

I just uploaded a random photo from my computer file to see what steps it takes, and you seem to have done each step as I just did. Try clicking on my photo above. You'll see that zooms in and you see much detail. Why don't you select one photo and try with just a single?

Anyway, turns out my photo is useful in a way. Notice my rooster between the two hens. His favorite is ten-year old Lilith to his right, not Snickers on his left who is his age, around four. Notice his neck feathers. The hens all love him so much they munch on his delicate golden mane, something I've never been able to prevent, even though I have a run with twice the recommended space. Feather picking sometimes has no obvious cause and no obvious cure.

Try painting Blu-kote on any raw, bare skin on any chicken. That will help camouflage it while it heals. Another thing you can try is a flock scratch block. It will keep your chickens so busy they may forget about ravishing your poor rooster's tail.

Oh, and it shouldn't be molt causing this. Your chickens are too young for their first fall molt.