We have 5 older hens (1.5-3 years old) and 5 twelve week old pullets hatched by one of the 1.5 year old hens. Our rooster died 10 weeks ago and today we brought home a new young rooster about 15 weeks old.
He is generally very gentle. He's been handled a lot and treated as a pet until now along with a small backyard flock and when I got him today, I was able to hold him easily and he was very sweet.
Even though he was in a cage, my older hen challenged him and he did not back down. They had it out separated by the bars. She walked away eventually. I moved him to the enclosed pen where the coop is. That pen also opens to a fenced area with a little door that is open during the day. While the older ones were roaming around the yard and the young pullets were in the pen, he managed to get out of his cage while I was changing his water (he kept knocking it over and it's 95 degrees out). The pullets weren't at all afraid of him and he just hung out with them, eating and exploring. So far no problem.
Two of the pullets can fly out and were free-ranging with the 5 older hens. Bob and 3 pullets were still in the pens.
As it was getting dark, about an hour later, my husband noticed a huge wound on the back of a pullet's head - one of the ones that had flown out. (Photos below) It was so fresh when he showed me, I hesitated to think it was from the rooster because she wasn't with him for at least the last half hour or hour.
A few weeks ago, one of the two golden comets (this is one of them) had a small gash on her head that was bloody but it was more like a peck not a wound like this. We have a mean spirited banty that I think did that. I'm wondering -
1) do you think the banty could have made such a large wound or do you think it was more likely the rooster?
2) I've never used BlueKote. Is that a good idea to get and use?
3) should we separate her in a cage to heal tomorrow or let her wander with the rest of them? (They've gone to sleep now.)
Thank you for any advice!
He is generally very gentle. He's been handled a lot and treated as a pet until now along with a small backyard flock and when I got him today, I was able to hold him easily and he was very sweet.
Even though he was in a cage, my older hen challenged him and he did not back down. They had it out separated by the bars. She walked away eventually. I moved him to the enclosed pen where the coop is. That pen also opens to a fenced area with a little door that is open during the day. While the older ones were roaming around the yard and the young pullets were in the pen, he managed to get out of his cage while I was changing his water (he kept knocking it over and it's 95 degrees out). The pullets weren't at all afraid of him and he just hung out with them, eating and exploring. So far no problem.
Two of the pullets can fly out and were free-ranging with the 5 older hens. Bob and 3 pullets were still in the pens.
As it was getting dark, about an hour later, my husband noticed a huge wound on the back of a pullet's head - one of the ones that had flown out. (Photos below) It was so fresh when he showed me, I hesitated to think it was from the rooster because she wasn't with him for at least the last half hour or hour.
A few weeks ago, one of the two golden comets (this is one of them) had a small gash on her head that was bloody but it was more like a peck not a wound like this. We have a mean spirited banty that I think did that. I'm wondering -
1) do you think the banty could have made such a large wound or do you think it was more likely the rooster?
2) I've never used BlueKote. Is that a good idea to get and use?
3) should we separate her in a cage to heal tomorrow or let her wander with the rest of them? (They've gone to sleep now.)
Thank you for any advice!
