The Poultry Keeper

Chris Kurzfeld · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1712 Location: Carmarthenshire

A week ago I put the 3 x 11 week old chicks outside for a while each day and they have been fine. Then the day before yesterday I notice the little Brahma bantam cockerel huddled in a corner surrounded by blood! I picked him up and noticed that a large gash had been ripped on his back (down near his tail) - I can only think he has had a run in with the local magpies????? Or maybe a buzzard - but why him and not the other 2? When I found him it was obvious it had only just happened so I cleaned him up and sprayed the wound with Auramycyn (sp?) and put him in a broody coop with plenty of straw, water and some mixed corn. I didn't really expect him to survive the shock but 2 days later he is running around and swearing at me when i pick him up to check his wound. It really looks nasty as it has scabbed over, but there is no infection. Do I soak the scab off or do i leave well alone? I know it will take a while to heal properly if he doese survive, but how long? I feel sorry for him on his own but daren't put anyone in with him in case they peck his wound.

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1219 Location: Cornwall

Leave the scab on. Once it's healed underneath the scab will just drop off. If you take the scab off it'll introduce infection.

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3540 Location: Monmouthshire

That sounds like a buzzard. I've still got a couple of young Cream legbar pullets in the shed because of buzzards. I can't put them in with any of the bigger CLs and two are not enough to make a night huddle even in a small coop. The cock will be fine since he's healing well. If they survive the first 48 hours they're usually OK.

Chris Kurzfeld · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1712 Location: Carmarthenshire

I've put the other 2 in a coop with a covered run till they get bigger. Little boy was out and about in the run of his little coop (again it's covered) but he is limping. Have checked him but can only see the intial wound, it's quite low down his back and slightly to the right so i suppose it could have bruised his right leg too. Anyway he is eating and still swearing at me when i check him over - thankyou for your help and reassurance. I wasn't going to keep this cockerel but how on earth can I despatch him after nursing him like this!!!! Shocked

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3540 Location: Monmouthshire

If a buzzard, he my have been picked up and dropped so possible puncture wounds or just acute bruising. There were a pair of buzzards circling in the half light this morning when I was opening up - here they target the Cream Legbars.

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1219 Location: Cornwall

Chris do you have those big black carrion crows your way? We get them a lot in Cornwall, and they will attack anything under Pekin size.

Chris Kurzfeld · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1712 Location: Carmarthenshire

Yes Pekinout we do, and Ravens, plus buzzards and Red Kites. There have been recent sightings of an Osprey too, vet said a chicken farmer a few miles away lost quite a few birds recently to it.

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1219 Location: Cornwall

Really? They take chicks from other birds nests, so I guess poultry chicks and young birds are an easy dinner for them.

No Ospreys here, but most of the other birds of prey and crow family. You're lucky to have Red Kites, they were quite endangered a few years back its good to see them making a comeback, but not to the detriment of young chicken.

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3540 Location: Monmouthshire

Well, I don't think you need to worry about Osprey as they are fish eaters and migratory. They should have all been gone by the end of September. I'm lucky with the crows as they nest nearby and will mob the buzzards if they're too low which gives me useful warning if the chicken are also upset. I've watched Red Kite in your neck of the woods, but we don't get them here - wrong habitat.

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1219 Location: Cornwall

Osprey are solely fish eaters, I'd heard they will take fledglings and young birds to feed their young if theres a shortage of fish in the breeding season, although this is very rare. Not sure if it's true.

Squidge · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 269 Location: Folkestone, Kent

I thought Red Kite only ate dead meat. I was watching a program the other day saying that they had been persecuted for years but that it was unnecessary because they only ate carrion.

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3540 Location: Monmouthshire

According to rspb Red kites east carrion, worms & small mammals. Rspb also claim that Buzzards eat small mammals, birds & carrion but I have seen what they can do to a Cream Legbar hen. I prefer the evidence of my own eyes when it comes to what birds of prey eat.

Squidge · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 269 Location: Folkestone, Kent

I know that these claims can be deceptive, it's like the one about Magpies not killing small birds, they do do it and my local lot make sure that all the small birds are kept away from the feeders. I don't want to kill them but it does make me mad. Fortunately a neighbour has taken the matter into his own hands so I don't have so many magpies this year!

Bradders · Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 1011 Location: Cambridgeshire

I would have thought it was a buzzard Evil or Very Mad

Because their right little B****rs Twisted Evil

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3540 Location: Monmouthshire

No Bradders, right BIG b****rs.