Cockerel lost a lot of blood

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chickenfan

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I'm very embarrassed to say I've had another cockerel disaster. I keep the cockerels in a brick shed overnight in catboxes so they don't wake my neighbours, but two of them managed to get out of them and have a big fight before I let them out this morning. One has lost a lot of blood and when I bathed him there were lots of lumpy, fleshy bits around the back of his head, which I removed, and he has one eye closed. I can see the eye is still there, but it may be damaged. I've kept him quiet all day in a catbox, and he is just standing, quite strong, and crows occasionally, but is hardly eating or drinking and I thought he might have revived a bit by now. I syringed a little water with 'critical care' electrolyte solution a few times, but he hates this and I don't want to stress him when he has a head injury. There was a lot blood all over the shed, and a lot of blood all over his neck feathers. Does anyone know how to check for dehydration? I'm also worried he could perhaps have some internal bleeding. I could give him metacam for pain.
 
Sorry I didn't notice this post earlier, what I would have said was that if he was thirsty then he would have drank of his own accord. Very glad to hear he is now drinking, when there is damage to the comb area because they are warmer blooded it seems like a bloodbath but it generally is not half as bad as it looks and the plus side is that infection is rare.
 
How is he today, Chickenfan?
Would it be good to paint his injuries with purple spray, on a cotton bud, from a puddle of spray on a saucer, so it doesn't go in his eyes? As Dinosaw says, infection is less likely in a comb injury but the spray is anaesthetic as well as antiseptic I think.
Was the other cockerel OK?
 
Thank you Dinosaw and Marigold for your replies. The damage was to his head behind the comb. That's were all the clots and bits of flesh seemed to be. I have to say I think when I bathed him I was seeing his skull under the wound on his head. He lost a lot of blood - all over his feathers everywhere covering loads of kitchen paper, as well as his comb. I used the purple iodine spray on the head injury yesterday but I think it stang as he didn't like it and its only meant for 'minor' wounds. Good tip about the cotton bud Marigold - very good idea. The other cockerel - my gentle Faverolles - was remarkably fine. Its the fine speckled sussex bantam listed for sale that came off badly - a much smaller bird. I've noticed the speckled sussex like to fight with other cockerels, although they are otherwise gentle birds, great with the hens and non-agressive with people. Today he is still miserable not eating and drinking much with a very swollen face and eyes and one eye still closed. He may be a bit anaemic so I'm giving him spinach and he has managed to eat just a tiny bit of it. If his eye is pecked, I wonder if I need to worry about infection of this? I've had other cockerels looking near death that have recovered in a few hours. This boy still looks little better than yesterday.
 
Chickens are pretty tough, when not suffering from internal injuries or infections, and let's hope he will soon be on the mend. Is it possible to pen him out on grass, where he can see other hens, in the sunshine (if you have any - it's a lovely warm sunny day today here.) sunlight would probably be helpful and being outside would give him an interest in life I expect.
 
Yes, I plan to put him out but don't want him stressed by the bigger cockerel again. He'll go to the field this afternoon.
 
Provided he has stopped bleeding he should soon be on the mend chickenfan, it has probably just taken a lot out of him and will take a while for him to replenish his blood. Anything that works as an antiseptic is likely to sting, if you don't want to continue using the purple spray then a salt water solution will do just as well though he won't like that either. For the eyes then again some saline based eye drops from the chemist should help with any potential infection.
 
Thank you for your encouragement and good advice Dinosaw. Eye drops sound a good idea. I'm not sure how often I should be bathing him? I'm bothered he still isn't eating or drinking or moving - just crowing occasionally, which may be due to an overactivated nervous system. He was in a strange state when I found him crouched in a corner yesterday. Then when I picked him up and put him in his pen, he went charging at all the hens as though they were attacking him. I hope he is not brain damaged. He was a magnificent bird before this happened - a bit too late to photograph him now. I think I might try the metacam as he must be in a lot of pain.
 
I think I've worked out that although he has one eye open, he can hardly see with it. Now I've put food and water on the ground instead of the coop cups, he's discovered how to eat again. Water has to be right to the brim before he can find and manage to drink it. Poor chap, I hope he gets some strength to heal now.
 
Thank you Dinosaw - he is better and can see, although his droppings are a pale colour, so perhaps he is anaemic. Very kind of you to ask. I've been busy with sheep having lambs!
 
I didn't realise the ewes you had taken on were pregnant, lucky you!, no pun intended.
 
Although his eye looks normal, but still a bit swollen round the edges, he is not finding his food and water from coop cups in his run unless I put him in a catbox where he knows exactly where to find it. It doesn't seem fair to keep a bird that can't see properly. Or could he perhaps have not completely got over the shock? He was such a strong bird that used to crow loudly all day, but perhaps it is still early days
 
Crowing fine with a full tummy. I guess time will tell whether he recovers his eyesight.
 
With one good eye he ought to be fine to see the food chickenfan, I have an Araucana which has been almost blind since a chick and she manages ok. Give him time, if you are worried he is not eating then pen off a small section of your run, put a feeder in and you will soon see from the feed going down and whether there are droppings on the ground whether he is eating or not.
 
Well 2 months on the young boy looks fine again, but isn't the bird he was before. He was a perpetual crower, but now only crows a little and is 'slow'. Could he be a bit brain-damaged? Or perhaps he doesn't see well from one eye although it looks perfect.
 
I would imagine he is suppressing his crowing after being so thoroughly beaten chickenfan, he won't want to draw attention to himself or invite a challenge. Brain damage is always a possibility, you can test his eyesight by seeing how effectively he eats small treats that you put in with him or hold in your hand, my Araucanas are serial "missers" they know something is there but take about twenty attempts to pinpoint it.
 
Thanks Dinosaw - you are a mine of information! I've got him in a pen next to an older cockerel of the same breed so perhaps that has stopped his crowing. He goes to treats very slowly and doesn't seem to see them very well, although he can eventually pinpoint where they are.
 
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