dreamofwinter
Songster
Just need to vent! I have a Barred Rock hen who has refused to molt and has just gotten more and more threadbare as time goes on - bare elbows, mostly bare back, only lightly feathered anywhere else and with ragged, sunbleached feathers. Now as if it isn't bad enough that she's half naked in the Maine winter, I discovered a large tear on her back. I have to suspect my enthusiastic young Chocolate Orpington cockerel - he's not mean, but he's huge and horny. Blaze is one of the top hens and resisted his advances for a while but lately has let him mount her. Based on the location of the wound I'm suspecting one of his claws tore her open (he has no spurs yet, he's only 7 months old). Alternately it could be from a predator, I suppose - I did find a kill spot nearby where an unlucky blue jay met its end.
I feel terrible, as I just discovered her wound this afternoon, and looking at it it's at least half a day old and more likely is from yesterday. We were out late last night and didn't check on the chickens from about noon onward (automatic door puts them to bed), so it could have been from as early as then.
It's a 2-3" tear, skin only, from behind her shoulder down along the side of her back. The more I write, the more certain I am it's from the cockerel. What would you guys do? Keep the other naked hen away from him and let him continue to practice with the well-feathered hens? Separate him entirely until he grows up and gets some coordination? He's a good boy, tidbits like he cooked the stuff himself, watches for predators, etc. Just huge and dumb is all.
As far as Blaze, she's not shocky at all (another reason I believe it's an older wound). I cleaned it out well with saline, picked out any foreign material, and drenched it first in Vetericyn and then smeared triple antibiotic on it. I had a pullet with a similar wound (from a fox) who healed well with this treatment, so we'll see how she does. She's luxuriating in the mudroom in a hospital pen and will get to miss our severe cold snap later this week, lucky girl.
Anyhow, yeah, mainly venting. Why does this kind of stuff only happen to your best layer? Why are cockerels such idiots their first year? Why does my Lavender Orpington cockerel think gloves are hens? Wait, that's whole other post
I feel terrible, as I just discovered her wound this afternoon, and looking at it it's at least half a day old and more likely is from yesterday. We were out late last night and didn't check on the chickens from about noon onward (automatic door puts them to bed), so it could have been from as early as then.
It's a 2-3" tear, skin only, from behind her shoulder down along the side of her back. The more I write, the more certain I am it's from the cockerel. What would you guys do? Keep the other naked hen away from him and let him continue to practice with the well-feathered hens? Separate him entirely until he grows up and gets some coordination? He's a good boy, tidbits like he cooked the stuff himself, watches for predators, etc. Just huge and dumb is all.
As far as Blaze, she's not shocky at all (another reason I believe it's an older wound). I cleaned it out well with saline, picked out any foreign material, and drenched it first in Vetericyn and then smeared triple antibiotic on it. I had a pullet with a similar wound (from a fox) who healed well with this treatment, so we'll see how she does. She's luxuriating in the mudroom in a hospital pen and will get to miss our severe cold snap later this week, lucky girl.
Anyhow, yeah, mainly venting. Why does this kind of stuff only happen to your best layer? Why are cockerels such idiots their first year? Why does my Lavender Orpington cockerel think gloves are hens? Wait, that's whole other post
