Why is Hen Continually Rubbing Comb head on Ground

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• Raising BackYard Chickens
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Rooster keeps ripping my hens comb

• Thread starter ReneeChickenKisser
• Start date Oct 19, 2018

• #1

• #2

• #3

You can put some flour on the area to stop the bleeding.
How to stop the rooster from tearing it again - I have no clue.

• #4

Keep her in a separate pen from now on... or you know, cull the rooster...

Put the flour on it to stop the bleeding. Seriously though, get that roo away from your hens. He's dangerous.

• #5

Clean the wound with a mouthwash containing Chlorhexidine if you have some.
Don't use hydrogen peroxide.
Apply some betadine gel if you have some or any anti septic salve.
Combs and wattles tend to bleed a lot, but they also heal quite well.
I can't really tell how much damage there is, but it doesn't look any worse than the wounds the roosters here get fighting. They all heal up fine.

• #6

My guess would be that he is probably a cockerel (a male bird under a year old) and not yet a mature rooster and it may be that she was not submissive to him. Adolescent males will often be more aggressive than necessary to try to gain respect and submission from a hen. Either way, he wants penning separately or sending off to freezer camp. Once you stop the bleeding, clean her up with soap and warm water and then give her a blow dry with the hair drier and return her to the flock when it has scabbed over.

• #7

Don't cull the Rooster...
Leave her in a look no touch pen and spray that with a clear antiseptic spray. You can use liquid bandaid from the pharmacy to join the comb back to the head. I refuse to raise Hens that are big combed breeds for that reason. Or remove the Rooster.

• Thread starter
• #8

Keep her in a separate pen from now on... or you know, cull the rooster...

Put the flour on it to stop the bleeding. Seriously though, get that roo away from your hens. He's dangerous.

He is a sweet heart. He mounts the other bigger hens like normal. They are rocks and reds. But this hurt one is the smallest and a leghorn. She is the only one he grabs by the comb. She is in her own little pen healing and relaxing. Thank you so much for replying!

• Thread starter
• #9

• Thread starter
• #10

Don't cull the Rooster...
Leave her in a look no touch pen and spray that with a clear antiseptic spray. You can use liquid bandaid from the pharmacy to join the comb back to the head. I refuse to raise Hens that are big combed breeds for that reason. Or remove the Rooster.

All my chickens were surrendered to the local animal shelter and going to be slaughtered. I took them when they were older pullets, not knowing the sex or breed. I have 3 reds and 2 white rocks. And had 2 small white leghorns. One disappeared. Anyway, the one hurt is the last leghorns and is half the size of the other hens. My rooster (roo-pert) mounts the bigger hens normal and with the neck feathers. But I think because my leghorn is fast, he grabs and pins harder. This is the 7th time I've noticed wounds on her and witnessed it occurring today. I immediately grabbed her and gently wiped her up and put her in a safe place. I have seen flocks (not my own) actually kill and tear apart a wounded chicken. I wouldn't ever let that happen. I care too much. The only reason I kept the rooster is because they roam 100% free. I live in the woods in Maine and have hawks, owls, bald eagles and every ground chicken eating critter, around. He has done great protecting them all summer. Thank you so much for responding. I have had chickens many times in the past but never dealt with this issue before

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