Injuries on Rooster Comb/Wattles

[hokankai]

My rooster has little bite mark and scratch like injuries on his comb and wattles and I'm not sure what to do about it. He has little sores/scabs, scratch scabs, and now he has little pustules on his wattles (one is open and looks like it was bleeding). I have no other roosters, are the hens doing this because they're bored? They like to peck food out of his mouth. What do I do to help them heal? He has some that have been there for at least a month now and are still not all the way healed.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Are you able to share a picture? You should separate him if they keep beating him up for now.

 

[hokankai]

Just got some really good pictures. I bought some Blue Kote today and I think I'll dab that on the big scabs tomorrow.

Notice how symmetrical the front scabs and the wattle marks are? So weird...

I don't think they're picking on him though. He's HUGE and respectful, and they seem to willingly submit to him and like him a lot.








This had pus in it this morning

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

That looks more like dry fowl pox to me. I had a bout this summer. I have noticed that mosquitoes have come back out and they carry fowl pox. It is a virus so it just has to run it's course, takes about 3-4 weeks. You can put the blukote on it to keep other birds from pecking the sore. If you start noticing these on the other birds then it is definitely pox.

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Looks like some frostbite and fowl pox??

 

[hokankai]

Yeah we have a creek on our property and a TON of mosquitos this year, so perhaps that's it! He is sneezing a tad too. He's had those marks for about a month now, and no one else in the coops has them. Should I separate him or is it fairly harmless once it's run its course?

The blue on his comb comes and goes. I don't know how he's getting frostbitten because there's no draft in the coop, but it has been pretty cold. But I check them multiple times a day and his comb is only purple occasionally.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Yeah we have a creek on our property and a TON of mosquitos this year, so perhaps that's it! He is sneezing a tad too. He's had those marks for about a month now, and no one else in the coops has them. Should I separate him or is it fairly harmless once it's run its course?

The blue on his comb comes and goes. I don't know how he's getting frostbitten because there's no draft in the coop, but it has been pretty cold.

Hmmm, if the blue comes and goes then it is NOT frostbite. That causes permanent damage. I would say it is maybe an electrolyte/vitamin deficiency? Do you have a Flock Block? Those have good supplements in them. I use one, it also helps with boredom pecking.

If no others have had sores pop up then it just may be a scratch/peck that got a little infected(they do have nasty claws). I would put Nu Stok on it.

 

[hokankai]

No they don't have a flock block but they get out in the yard for a couple hours a day and I haven't seen any problems in my banties who get the same diet and DON'T get let out of the pen. He's also the only one with the purplish comb.

I did have mites in my banty coop from some straw, so maybe he's scratching his face. Although I checked them when I had the infestation and they were clear. Maybe I'll dust them to be safe.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

No they don't have a flock block but they get out in the yard for a couple hours a day and I haven't seen any problems in my banties who get the same diet and DON'T get let out of the pen. He's also the only one with the purplish comb.

I did have mites in my banty coop from some straw, so maybe he's scratching his face. Although I checked them when I had the infestation and they were clear. Maybe I'll dust them to be safe.

Do that, can't hurt. My big kids love the Flock Block. 9 chickens go though it in a month. They are only $12 at Wilco.

 

[hokankai]

Last time I had one of those it got wet and made the soil where it was smell AWFUL. If I get one I need to find a dry place to keep it in the run because it was nasty.