I have 2 mature cockerels, each kept in their own large pen with their own house and girls. One boy has 6 girls and one boy has 5. They are both large fowl (a cream legbar and a marans) and nice natured, both toward humans and to their ladies. They do glare at each other through the fence though. They have been kept in pens separated by a fence angled inwards at the top in each direction iyswim so that they cannot jump over it, and have never got over in the past.
However, today the legbar managed somhow to get into the marans' pen. I was not around to see what went on, but they were clearly both hellbent on mutual destruction. Now they are both looking blooming around the face and rather sorry for themselves. The legbar is looking a bit more sorry for himself than the marans. He trespassed on his older and bigger colleague's ground and was the loser. When I got home he was hunched in a corner of the pen with his girls on the other side looking distressed and flapping round him. The marans was strutting around looking pleased with himself, if a little beaten up.
Now I am not too worried about keeping their wattles and combs in show condition (although they were pristine before today.) However I am not sure what to do with them now they are a bit battle-scarred. I know you should keep a bleeding bird separate from it's mates to stop them pecking at each other. But I've never had 2 birds to keep away from them, and I am a bit worried about keeping them apart from their girls as it is flipping freezing here tonight, and they would each have to go in a disused stable. (They can't come in the house because my mother's dogs are all in the utility room while she is on holiday, and OH would go nuts if they went in the kitchen or living room!)
The girls were showing no sign when I got back of having a quick peck, so I've let them all get into bed together. What is the likelihood of them having a go in the night? (The houses have automatic openers on them so they won't be cooped up together for long once it is light.) Would you put anything on their combs? (Which is what they mostly seem to have damaged.) I have varying levels of cream for my horse's wounds, but aloe vera is the most commonly used thing. Or should I just leave them to dry and scab and heal that way?
Sorry for the hundred and one questions, I've had the boys for a few years now, and not had this problem before. BTW I have created a 'no-mans-land' between their runs so that if this should be a new party trick they have to flap a bit harder to get at each other and hopefully I'll get to them first!