Rooster took a hit to the head, what should I watch for?

[arrowti]

Our standard roo who is known to be a bit of a jerk (has never outright attacked, but loves to do the dance before getting chased off), took a hit to the head from a shovel from my younger sister who didn't expect it to hit, since he's fast and agile. Immediately he was stumbling around, and she picked him up and put him down in the coop. He walked normally after and was hiding in there.

When I got home from work I checked on him. Right eye is shut, a little swollen, but can open if he wants to. He is completely silent, but responsive and alert (ran away from me and the bantam rooster who is 'king' somehow), and is now hiding under the coop. I didn't see any blood on him, but I saw some blood inside the coop. Not sure if the blood was from him or not, because his face looks clean. He has white feathers on his head and none of them were bloodied. Possibly unrelated..

He is breathing normally, walking normally, and flapping his wings. But he won't make a sound. Not a cluck, not a crow. Not even when being chased by the banty. Should I be concerned about this or is that something roosters do when they are injured/lost a fight?

What should I watch out for in case of a head injury?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

To me he got what he asked for and if he dances at you guys it's just a matter of time before attack. Maybe your sister did him a favor and he will shape up!

Sorry that he got injured, it's unfortunate when that happens. Sounds like he got knocked for a loop and will probably recover. I maintain a stag pen... and yes I would say it is normal for those who get taken down a peg to be more subdued and even hiding for a short while. When they get swollen eyes (because spars DO happen even without females), They have always recovered here quickly.

I wouldn't personally worry too much. I would just ensure he isn't being beat up by others or kept away from food or water when he is ready. Banty's are just as nasty as any other chicken in my experience. It isn't the size of the chicken in the fight but the size of the fight in the chicken.

Guess I would watch out for a terrettes type tick for head injury... but then what?? I would cull if there was a TRUE issue.

Hope he is well... and a whole NEW rooster!

 

[arrowti]

Fortunately he has begun to crow again and is acting normal, eating and drinking. However, his head seems to be tilted to the side, and he keeps raising and lowering his head in sudden jerks. It doesn't prevent him from eating and drinking and he isn't being picked on by the others... the banty has done nothing more than the normal chasing routine.

I'll keep an eye to see if anything worsens but for now he appears to be *mostly* normal aside from those motions.

 

[BlackHackle]

Our standard roo who is known to be a bit of a jerk (has never outright attacked, but loves to do the dance before getting chased off), took a hit to the head from a shovel from my younger sister who didn't expect it to hit, since he's fast and agile. Immediately he was stumbling around, and she picked him up and put him down in the coop. He walked normally after and was hiding in there.

When I got home from work I checked on him. Right eye is shut, a little swollen, but can open if he wants to. He is completely silent, but responsive and alert (ran away from me and the bantam rooster who is 'king' somehow), and is now hiding under the coop. I didn't see any blood on him, but I saw some blood inside the coop. Not sure if the blood was from him or not, because his face looks clean. He has white feathers on his head and none of them were bloodied. Possibly unrelated..

He is breathing normally, walking normally, and flapping his wings. But he won't make a sound. Not a cluck, not a crow. Not even when being chased by the banty. Should I be concerned about this or is that something roosters do when they are injured/lost a fight?

What should I watch out for in case of a head injury?

I know roosters do act submissive for a bit after being defeated

 

[EggSighted4Life]

However, his head seems to be tilted to the side, and he keeps raising and lowering his head in sudden jerks

He probably has some soreness still. I have seen the head tilt, and it has usually subsided as well. Of course every injury I'm sure is unique.

Glad he is doing a bit better!

If we do get an injury that doesn't seem acceptable... we will process for eating instead of letting their life go to waste... if we have our wits about us enough to do that.

Since he is eating and drinking, he isn't in any sort of shock and will probably continue to recover well.

 

[Mimi13]

I am sorry, but I couldn’t keep myself from giggling when I read your initial post and that of @EggSighted4Life’s. Just picturing the addled son of a gun stumbling around made me chuckle. I can only imagine what was going through his pea brain as to what had just happened, and I’ll bet he will be a completely different bird once he recovers. Now, in real life, I would be in full blown panic mode wondering what I needed to do for the goofy bird.
One thing that makes this funnier is that I’m dealing with a 3 mo cockerel, Pretty Boy Floyd, aka PBF, who has just “found his balls,” so to speak. He is the one I suspected would be my problem child. (I have 5 cockerels and, after auditions, will be culling 2 of them.) So far, he is killing his audition...to be processed. In the past couple of days he has begun following me and always making sure he is near me - I move, he moves, I stare, he stares. He’s really kind of creepy. He’s just always there and I never see him actually following me. So, today, I pulled a good one on him. I snatched him up, held him tightly, and carried him around for a bit, just talking nonstop to him. He wasn’t too crazy about it to begin with, but was compliant nonetheless - he had no choice but to be, as I was very forceful about holding him. I then decided to sit down on the coop’s porch steps a while with him. I made up songs about him and sang them to him. Who wouldn’t love that? Right? This is something I’ve been known for. Did it with both of my boys and now my grandsons. I’m sure they loved it and I’m sure PBF loved it too. Not! Anyway, when I set him down he immediately went underneath the porch and did NOT follow me when I got up and went into the run. Yay me, could it be, just maybe, that this will make the old joker leave me alone? Oh, I so hope.
I certainly do hope your boy recovers just fine.

 

[arrowti]

To be honest I'd have found it a little funny too reading about it!

Well, unfortunately it looks like he is mostly or completely blind in his left eye. I say that after watching him for most of the day. His left eye ranges from open to closed, and he always looks at me from his right. He doesn't notice the bantam rooster approaching him unless he turns his head so his right side is facing the bantam and then he takes off. The reason his head is tilted is probably because he's keeping his good eye facing towards the sky to spot for danger.

This is unfortunate, but it is something he can adjust to live with. He is already adjusting just by constantly looking around to see. He is afraid of us (by us I mean people) and runs away and hides. He's crowing but it's slightly off its usual pitch. The side of his face was a little puffy this morning but has since gone back to normal.

 

[Maggieisabelle]

Our standard roo who is known to be a bit of a jerk (has never outright attacked, but loves to do the dance before getting chased off), took a hit to the head from a shovel from my younger sister who didn't expect it to hit, since he's fast and agile. Immediately he was stumbling around, and she picked him up and put him down in the coop. He walked normally after and was hiding in there.

When I got home from work I checked on him. Right eye is shut, a little swollen, but can open if he wants to. He is completely silent, but responsive and alert (ran away from me and the bantam rooster who is 'king' somehow), and is now hiding under the coop. I didn't see any blood on him, but I saw some blood inside the coop. Not sure if the blood was from him or not, because his face looks clean. He has white feathers on his head and none of them were bloodied. Possibly unrelated..

He is breathing normally, walking normally, and flapping his wings. But he won't make a sound. Not a cluck, not a crow. Not even when being chased by the banty. Should I be concerned about this or is that something roosters do when they are injured/lost a fight?

What should I watch out for in case of a head injury?

Maybe you knocked some sense into him. Just keep a eye on him to make sure he isn’t going down hill but it sounds like he is doing pretty good. Good luck

 

[ronott1]

Fortunately he has begun to crow again and is acting normal, eating and drinking. However, his head seems to be tilted to the side, and he keeps raising and lowering his head in sudden jerks. It doesn't prevent him from eating and drinking and he isn't being picked on by the others... the banty has done nothing more than the normal chasing routine.

I'll keep an eye to see if anything worsens but for now he appears to be *mostly* normal aside from those motions.

eggsighted4life gave you good advice! Chickens are one of the few animals that can regrow brain cells after an injury--He will likely be fine.

 

[Mimi13]

To be honest I'd have found it a little funny too reading about it!

Well, unfortunately it looks like he is mostly or completely blind in his left eye. I say that after watching him for most of the day. His left eye ranges from open to closed, and he always looks at me from his right. He doesn't notice the bantam rooster approaching him unless he turns his head so his right side is facing the bantam and then he takes off. The reason his head is tilted is probably because he's keeping his good eye facing towards the sky to spot for danger.

This is unfortunate, but it is something he can adjust to live with. He is already adjusting just by constantly looking around to see. He is afraid of us (by us I mean people) and runs away and hides. He's crowing but it's slightly off its usual pitch. The side of his face was a little puffy this morning but has since gone back to normal.

Oh yes, I’m very sorry. I definitely hate that he cannot see out of his eye. I really do have empathy for animals, even more so than people. I know that’s weird, but I hate to see animals hurting.
I hope that his eyesight is just temporarily gone due to swelling and will come back once the swelling is gone. We can certainly keep our fingers crossed.
I hope he recovers fully and learned a lesson to boot.