Rooster is bleeding and has black parts on the comb

[chmac]

We're in the process of adding birds to the flock. We have an old rooster and hen, plus two we added almost a year ago, and then we just added 6 more, who are just starting to lay.

I've noticed the rooster is bleeding, I think from his comb. When he shakes his head, there's blood drops flying around, and we have blood stains on the feeder and other places. I took him out tonight and got a better look and took a photo. He has all kinds of black marks on his comb. It looks like it is probably dried blood. Weirdly, it's just on one side of his comb. The other side looks normal.

We're in northern Germany, just south of Berlin, so it is just turning from winter to spring. It has been below freezing overnight in the last week or two, but the coop has always been above 5º. I guess that's too warm for frostbite. It's been a few weeks since the temperature was below freezing during the daytime (when the chickens are outside) and that was only a few days this winter.

Anybody have a sense of what's going on? What could be causing this on just one side of his comb?

Also, should we do anything about it? Try to clean it, or disinfect it? Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Eggcessive]

It looks like blood from peck wounds. Do they have enough room while the two groups are being integrated? Is he the only rooster? Does he appear to be weak or molting? Usually, they can hold their own with a bunch of hens, unless he is in a weakened state.

 

[chmac]

It looks like blood from peck wounds. Do they have enough room while the two groups are being integrated? Is he the only rooster? Does he appear to be weak or molting? Usually, they can hold their own with a bunch of hens, unless he is in a weakened state.

Plenty of space. The coop is big enough for 20, only has 10. Daytimes they're outside in a giant area. But, local wildlife can pass through that area, so maybe he had a fit with a cat or something. Although it seems weird his comb would be damaged. Otherwise he seems to be fine. Maybe he was limping slightly on one leg earlier, hard to say.

No signs of molting. Just one rooster.

Oh my. I just checked the camera inside the coop, and I see one of the hens, the bottom of the old pecking order, pecking at his comb. He doesn't seem to react at all. She pecks him, his head bobs left, and then comes back. He doesn't even move away.

I will research strategies on how to deal with that.

 

[chmac]

Well, I've isolated the hen that was pecking him for tonight. I'll see what to do in the morning. It seems like people think it could be a protein deficiency. Although they wander outside over a pretty big area eating whatever they want all day, so I assume they're getting a healthy diet of bugs. But I'll try keeping her isolated for a bit until his comb heals up, and investigate the protein idea a bit further.

 

[chmac]

Quick update to say I isolated the hen that was biting him for ~36 hours and now his comb has almost completely recovered, and there's no sign of blood anywhere now. Thanks for all the input.

 

[LaFleche]

Glad he is better, but consider PinlessPeepers for the hen with the pecking habit as wearing them she will be able to rejoin the flock.

 

[chmac]

I got them just in case I need them in the future, but she's been back with the flock for a few days with no further issues.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Poor guy was literally hen-pecked!

 

[Eggcessive]

I have seen my old EE rooster just sit on the roost or ground while a hen pecks and grooms out all of his feathers on his muff. The pinless peepers is a good idea if you have a problem later on.