What got my rooster? (Picture included…. Tough to see..)

[Janellyn]

Something happened during the day yesterday. I went to collect eggs and I see my rooster covered in blood on his neck and feathers missing. I don’t see an open would it is just red. There is no blood anywhere else that I can see in the coop, on the run, on other chickens…. Just on him. I went today and got some spray (medicine) for his neck-and he is walking and crowing like nothing ever happened. The rooster and hens are going on like business as usual.

Any thoughts? Weasel? Raccoon?

thank you! I’m a first time/winter chicken owner.

 

[sourland]

To me it looks as if his frost bitten wattles are bleeding.

 

[Tonyroo]

To me it looks as if his frost bitten wattles are bleeding.

I agree.

 

[Janellyn]

Would he be missing feathers from that? We have a heater in the coop for the really cold nights but they are out of the wind and snow..

 

[Janellyn]

I agree.

And he would be missing feathers from this too?

 

[Tonyroo]

The blood would matte down feathers in contact of it. Plus he could have tried to clean it by ripping the feathers out.

 

[Tonyroo]

Don't let his comb and wattle get frozen if possible.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

the hens will peck the feathers out and the roos will stand there and let them. I have seen that before. Wash the blood off so their not attracted to it.

 

[Janellyn]

The blood would matte down feathers in contact of it. Plus he could have tried to clean it by ripping the feathers out.

Ahhh. My poor guy. I put in a heater for the cold nights.. I wonder if it created too much moisture.
ok, ideas on how to treat it?
thank you for your help.

 

[Tonyroo]

Put him in a warmer area with air flow. Clean his wattle carefully with warm wet cloth, dry it off and layer neosporin on the wound. Do that for a couple of days. It should heal up quick.

Are you using some kind of radiant heating. When you create heat in a cold enclosed space. The difference between temperature creates a huge amount of humidity which needs to be vented out.