HELP! Rooster basically scalped my hen. ( Production Red hen) ( Amerecauna EE Roo)

[Jennell]

I have 8 chickens. 2 roosters ( 1 Barred Rock the other EE ) 3 production red hens, 1 barred rock hen, and one Mille fluer D’uccle bantam mini.

They were all raised togther. I noticed the EE roo was picking on the mini bantam so we removed her (house chicken) leaving the big birds the coop. The EE Roo is the only one I’ve seen grab the ladies or peck the mini. He wasn’t picking on any other hen when the mini was present.

The EE Roo attack one of my production red hens over night and her head is basically scalped I mean bone is showing.. she’s not doing anything besides sitting with her eyes shut. Idk what to do this is the first time I’ve had chickens and I’ve never seen anything like this. I assume it was the EE Roo seeing as he’s been the only aggressor. I jus don’t understand why he would do this over night she was fine yesterday. The other hens were pecking bc of the blood showing but they’ve never pecked each other before.

She is inside in a kennel seperated from the flock.

 

[drangle]

No expert but from reading other injury posts here I would take her inside, clean her wound with saline and try to take better pictures of the injury. also put Neosporin on her, just the normal kind, not the one with pain relief. (not sure why but that's what everyone says)

If you think she is in shock. give her Gatorade or electrolyte water to drink.

 

[Jennell]

No expert but from reading other injury posts here I would take her inside, clean her wound with saline and try to take better pictures of the injury. also put Neosporin on her, just the normal kind, not the one with pain relief. (not sure why but that's what everyone says)

If you think she is in shock. give her Gatorade or electrolyte water to drink.

I will try, I’m so scared to bother her. I will definitely try this ! I’m jus so awe struck as to why he did it and switched up. She’s not fighting me at all so I’m sure she’ll let me bandage her up.

 

[nuthatched]

He must have been trying to mate and something happened. Yes, rinse it and apply neosporin and treat for shock. Chickens can actually tolerate pain relieving neosporin but I don't think you can put it on bone.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I’m jus so awe struck as to why he did it

Suspect predator (like raccoon) more than the EE.

ETA: Is there a light on in the coop at night? Chickens don't mess around in the dark..

"The EE Roo attack one of my production red hens over night and her head is basically scalped I mean bone is showing"

 

[Jennell]

Suspect predator (like raccoon) more than the EE.

The are no feathers in the coop and no other injuries to her , like an attack. And all other hens are well, she tends to stay in a corner and outta the way. there’s no opening in top or bottom. That’s the first thing I checked for. I’ve seen the EE roo try and mount the BR rooster as well, dude is huge compared to the rest.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

The are no feathers in the coop and no other injuries to her , like an attack.

Hence the raccoon consideration.. How wide are those crack in the wall?

Their grubby little hands reach in and usually rip the entire head off leaving only the body behind. I've had a duck scalped by raccoon and chicks scalped by hawks.. All recovered well, hope yours does to.

Your other rooster *might* be a Dominique but he isn't BR, with that rose comb.

Hope you do get answers quick!

 

[Jennell]

Hence the raccoon consideration.. How wide are those crack in the wall?

Their grubby little hands reach in and usually rip the entire head off leaving only the body behind. I've had a duck scalped by raccoon and chicks scalped by hawks.. All recovered well, hope yours does to.

Your other rooster *might* be a Dominique but he isn't BR, with that rose comb.

Hope you do get answers quick!

Lol well shoot, them I’m not entirely sure what my hens/ Roos are except my Mille fluer d’uccle Bantam. She was said to be a production red. I do hope she recovers. They’re a few inches apart. But I have the coop like 6 feet from my dog I was hoping he’d be outside security enough ! but no he can’t reach the coop.

 

[JubileeFarmer]

I have 8 chickens. 2 roosters ( 1 Barred Rock the other EE ) 3 production red hens, 1 barred rock hen, and one Mille fluer D’uccle bantam mini.

They were all raised togther. I noticed the EE roo was picking on the mini bantam so we removed her (house chicken) leaving the big birds the coop. The EE Roo is the only one I’ve seen grab the ladies or peck the mini. He wasn’t picking on any other hen when the mini was present.

The EE Roo attack one of my production red hens over night and her head is basically scalped I mean bone is showing.. she’s not doing anything besides sitting with her eyes shut. Idk what to do this is the first time I’ve had chickens and I’ve never seen anything like this. I assume it was the EE Roo seeing as he’s been the only aggressor. I jus don’t understand why he would do this over night she was fine yesterday. The other hens were pecking bc of the blood showing but they’ve never pecked each other before.

She is inside in a kennel seperated from the flock.

I had the same thing happen a couple of years ago. I kept a couple of cockerels from my spring hatch and when they got old enough to mate I found one of my RIR hens with torn skin on the back of her neck. I tried to separate her but she got loose and one of the cockerels caught her and ripped a big patch of skin off. I saw him do it so I know it was not a predator attack. I got rid of both cockerels.

I sprayed the hen's wound a couple of times a day with Vertericyn to protect it from infection and it healed up just fine although she now has a small patch of feathers on the back of her neck that stick straight out instead of laying down.

This year I kept another cockerel, hoping that he would be gentler than the one that injured the hen, but a few weeks ago I found the same hen cowering in a corner with a bloody comb and no feathers left on the back of her head. The rest of my hens are fine and none of them were injured by the previous cockerels so I have concluded that it isn't the cockerel's fault, I just have a delicate hen. This time I am going to keep the cockerel and just keep the hen separate from the rest of the flock during the day. She can see them through a chain link fence and goes back into the coop with them at night.

 

[Jennell]

I had the same thing happen a couple of years ago. I kept a couple of cockerels from my spring hatch and when they got old enough to mate I found one of my RIR hens with torn skin on the back of her neck. I tried to separate her but she got loose and one of the cockerels caught her and ripped a big patch of skin off. I saw him do it so I know it was not a predator attack. I got rid of both cockerels.

I sprayed the hen's wound a couple of times a day with Vertericyn to protect it from infection and it healed up just fine although she now has a small patch of feathers on the back of her neck that stick straight out instead of laying down.

This year I kept another cockerel, hoping that he would be gentler than the one that injured the hen, but a few weeks ago I found the same hen cowering in a corner with a bloody comb and no feathers left on the back of her head. The rest of my hens are fine and none of them were injured by the previous cockerels so I have concluded that it isn't the cockerel's fault, I just have a delicate hen. This time I am going to keep the cockerel and just keep the hen separate from the rest of the flock during the day. She can see them through a chain link fence and goes back into the coop with them at night.

This is what it looks like in fresh light, it’s not her tip of her head/comb like I thought it is indeed her lower skull/neck. I’m not sure I do believe it was the roo, he’s a bully. Idk why. But I jus feel like it was him.