Have I mentioned that we were given a couple of roosters a few weeks ago? Well, we were – it was a very spontaneous thing, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure what breeds they are, but I’ve done a bit of research, and I think we have a Golden Duckwing Old English Game Fowl, and a Wheaten Old English Game Fowl. The Wheaten came to us with an injured leg, and we were told that he hurt himself while fighting. Both had really long, sharp spurs – something that we really haven’t had an issue with on our existing roosters. So right away, we knew those needed to go. We found this video, and it provides guidance on safely removing spurs.
However, I think our roosters are older than those in the video, because ours bled quite a bit when we did this procedure. I was thankful for having Blood Stop Powder and Blu-Kote on hand, to help them clot up and to prevent infection. If you have livestock, I’d really recommend having both of those “in stock” on your farm.
Both of these roosters were quite aggressive when they arrived – to the point where we had to isolate them away from the rest of our flock. We have a large cage that would be used for a German Shepherd or other dog of that size, so we set them up with food and water in there. The second or third morning that they had been in there, I opened the coop only to find the Golden Duckwing screaming and the Wheaten just, well, there’s no polite way to put it – kicking his ass. I quickly got the Golden Duckwing out and walked him into the larger coop area with the flock. Having his spurs removed seemed to change his mind about wanting to pick any fights, and he integrated into the flock pretty quickly. He’s been doing great!
Earlier this week, I realized that the Wheaten had been in the cage for two weeks, and although spacious, I had to imagine it was depressing being in there alone. I had hoped that his leg would heal up, with him being isolated and having nobody to beat up. Unfortunately, it has not – and I’ve read varying opinions on whether to splint his leg or not. I decided to bring him in with the flock and see how he did. He immediately picked a fight with one of our hens, which drew the attention of our big Rhode Island Red rooster – who came to her rescue and promptly put the Wheaten in his place.
Ever since, the Wheaten has been submissive and not thinking he’s Mr. Badass, so I guess that’s good. Especially considering how closely descended from Jungle Fowl his breed is – they are known for being tough guys, and he was certainly showing that sort of bravado when he first arrived. However, I am also feeling some pity for him, because he just sort of sits around looking depressed. So I’ve been making sure that he eats and drinks, and today, I brought him outside into the yard and carried him around, talking to and petting him the whole time. He is really attentive, and seems to listen to me – it’s kind of spooky, to be honest. I set him down and he eventually started picking at the grass, eating that, and also some snow. The poor guy can’t scratch because of his bum leg, but he still managed to forage around quite a bit. I brought him back inside after a little outdoor time – I don’t want to wear him out. I’m still torn about splinting that leg. Does anyone have some experience or advice in that arena they’d like to offer?
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