what is with my roo? he's all bloody again this year

[wildorchid053]

last year i had a rooster out in an 8x8 coop with three other roos and 4 hens.. they were just fine till one day in the middle of winter i found one roo all bloody and cowering in a corner.. figured the other 3 got to him. so we brought him in and healed him till spring when we built another larger coop 12x16 and gave him 21 new girls for himself... well i just went out there to feed them and there he was all bloody again.. his comb keeps getting ripped. same as last year.. this time i saw him bowing his head and a few of the hens were pecking at him his comb and drinking his blood.. my little vampire chickens.. why is he gentle? it is like he doesn't mind? is he so below everyone? i see him mating with the girls but then i see this? i don't understand. any ideas? he is a big roo.. rhode island red and sweet as can be.. i guess he will be in the house again this winter.. ugh.........i could put him in a cage in the garage so he stays used to the freezing weather but i am afraid it will start all over again..suggestions? when we had all the babies in the house this spring he was in with them and no problems ..they were facinated by his big comb though and kept jumping up to grab his wattles and comb.. they were like 3 weeks old then.they are 9 mos. now so should have been over that i would think..

 

[sonew123]

HI sorry your dealing with this:-( roo to hen ratio 1 roo 10 hens--they are all mature now so all freindliness ties are off-they want hunnies!!!! what I have seen and heard is when a roo jumps on a hen-and there's another roo standing by-he will attack/peck/tear at his comb trying to pull him off so he can do his "deed".. With his comb bleeding you need to get something to put on it to mask the color of blood-bluecote-its known for hiding the blood long enough to heal-red/blood triggers everyone to peck and drink his blood and they will not stop either. Keep him inside for a few days-get some bluecote ( its actually as type of healing agent too) it will dye your skin and clothes so be careful with it. use that for a few days-then put him back out-see how he does-he might just be a pushover and will take abuse being low on totem pole. Have you considered getting rid of one of those roos??? getting rid of 1 could solce this wehole issue the minute he's removed-or seperating flocks-leave sweet boy with 6-8 girls and let the rest hang together??? Either way good luck

 

[wildorchid053]

he is my only roo with those girls.. i am afraid that he is so brow beaten from them that he doesn't resist the hens pecking him? and if they have tasted him and his blood are they likely to keep it up after he is healed? like an egg eater? i know he mounts them. and they are alot smaller than him.. i just don't understand it.. i am thinking of splitting the coop in half and letting him be with the ones who don't bother him.. it was mostly the silver laced who were pecking at his comb. it is very large and his wattles are about 4" too.... he is not a small bird.. but a very gentle male.. i am thinking he should have been a girl lol. when he is healed and out again i guess if it starts again i have nothing else to do but cull him..... so sad he is so sweet.. he is 1 1/2 yrs and the girls are about 7 mos. when they were just weeks old in the house i would put him in with them and he would stand very still while they checked his wattles and comb out.. they have always been so fascinated with them... and he is very good with them even as babies.. ugh this is such a pain in the bootie.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Im afraid your right-I hope not but it could be that once they know where "blood" is on him -even after healing they could repeck it-I know my girls did to my gorgeous SQ SL polish boy--I had to put him down. He was totally healed no sign of blood-so I put him back in with them-they were great for two days-then they pecked at his butt again-I didnt see it until the next day and he was so pecked to death he had his butt to the back of the coop and the girls were attacking him to get at his butt-it was the bloodiest mess I had ever seen. I grabbed him and brought him in house-I treated him for days but his wounds were so bad and painful-he stopped eating and everything-before I watched him widdle away I put him out of his misery:-( I -would seperate him out with the girls who leave him alone-but you need to heal him up first and disguise the bloodied area He sounds like a real winner roo-those are the roos people need around...

good luck

 

[wildorchid053]

ty for your opinion .. we went out today and split the 12x16 coop in half.. it was already in half but not the top and they would fly over and go all over the coop.. we chicken wired the peak today so tomorrow he will have one side to himself... loney but after he is healed i will try him with a couple of hens.. he has black tips to his comb where it is healing. so will be a while before they are back to red... i noticed a couple of the hens with blood on their chests.. the little carnivores. we had him in with all of us while working on the inside of coop and the hens were sure eyeing those black tips.. i shoed them away but if left alone with them he would be a goner. soooo sorry about your little polish.. must have broken your heart.. we got 48" of snow over the last few days and today was 40 and melting.. go figure.. crazy ny weather.. hope your warm up north and your chickens do well... ty linda

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
yes yesterday record low was 11 below!!! today a balmy 29!!! yah yah yah-first day chickens came out of coop in 5 days!