[Prod]

I posted about some Brahmas I rescued (which turned out to be Buff Orpingtons)  and had bad feet, scaly leg.  Anyway I put them in a separate enclosed and they have been fine for 4 or 5 days until this morning when my normally placid Welsummer cockerel got in and gave Billy a real pasting. Blood and feathers all over. I though Billy had lost his eye  but I have bathed him, given him an antibiotic injection, and put antiseptic cream on his cuts. I didn't want to use purple spray as it is his face and eye that are injured. It looked worse than it was I think. His wattle was split (hence lots of blood) but his eye is still there though swollen & shut.  Ive made a space in the shed for him and Mrs B, given them food and water with tonic in it & I am hopeful he will recover.   Now they have had a spat, and it looks like Billy lost, is that it over, or is it likely to happen again. I read that Orpington cockerels are usually non aggressive and this seems the case with Billy, as my Welsummer started it,  they are both very tame, even when I used the hairdryer to dry them both they were not fazed.  Any advice, as usual, greatly appreciated.....

[New shoot]

Unless Billy totally gives in, hands over Betty and becomes subordinate, they will fight I'm afraid and he's likely to get a few more pastings until its settled 

As Billy is settled with Betty, personally I would make sure he has his own space to live, where your Welsummer can't get to him 

My two Serama boys are brothers and lived together happily for a while, then the feathers started flying.  Now they have separate runs and coops, their own girls and take turn to free range in the garden, when I am home.  I have no doubts that if they got near each other, it would be to the death now.

[ANHBUC]

I agree with New Shoot it is best to keep them separate.  For the wounds you can use wound powder or if you don't have any cornflour will do.  I hope Billy recovers soon.   

[Prod]

Maybe I should have thought more before I rescued them but...heart over head I guess. Thatcher is very tame usually but of course he has never seen another cockerel and he is very protective of his girls.  I thought I had the new ones safe  but Thatcher somehow managed to get in. I feel sorry for Mr & Mrs B as although I rescued them from one situation I have caused more stress........

[ANHBUC]

We are all learning all of the time so don't beat yourself up.  I'm sure Billy will get over it and be glad to get rid of his leg mites, they really do drive them to distraction.

[Elvira]

I would bathe his eye with warm salt water twice daily if possible and keep a look out for if it gets infected. One of my girls had her eye pecked by one of the others - it actually popped the eyeball (although it wasn't apparent until we went to the vet) and got horribly infected so I had to keep bathing it and dose her with antibiotics twice a day. She is fine now and you can't tell she can only has one eye - doesn't stop her scrambling for mealworms with the others!

[Prod]

I did bath with warm salt water and I will keep repeating that plus I will give another antibiotic shot later.  He is presently in a big box full of straw  looking a bit sorry for himself  but Mrs B is with him  so I am hoping he will recover. It is a shame as they are a lovely looking and very tame pair of birds. Prior to this he let me pick him up so easily and seemed so relaxed when I was treating his feet.......

[New shoot]

They are tough creatures, so sure he will be fine in a day or two   

As long as Billy has a safe place to live where Thatcher can't get to him, he will be more than happy.  His leg mites will be gone and he can look forward to a lovely life being looked after by you.  He's just wary as he has had a shock.  As soon as he feels safe and has forgotten about it all, he'll be just as tame.

My Alphie lost the first couple of points off his comb and was really bloodied and bruised when it kicked off with his brother.  I felt awful as I had rescued them from culling, been a softie and was pursuaded to take 2, for him to be beaten to a pulp.  Mind you he didn't learn and they still fight like little horrors through the wire of their runs given half a chance

[Jo57]

My two Serama boys are brothers and lived together happily for a while, then the feathers started flying.  Now they have separate runs and coops, their own girls and take turn to free range in the garden, when I am home.  I have no doubts that if they got near each other, it would be to the death now.

I have two Sablepoot brothers who seem to get on well. They are a year old and seem to share the 5 girls without fuss. Might this change? Should I look at rehoming one of them?

[pepsi100]

mm, buff orpingtons arent known for being aggresive, even their crowing is different, even the bantams arent very aggessive (my LF Opington gets pushed out by the hens when they get the porridge, and stands aloof until they have finished)

I'd try and keep em apart, but at some point, it will come to a head if they ever meet up sometime when you arent around

[New shoot]

I have two Sablepoot brothers who seem to get on well. They are a year old and seem to share the 5 girls without fuss. Might this change? Should I look at rehoming one of them?

If they are getting along together, I would leave them be.  It very much depends on the individual personalities of the birds as to whether they can work out a pecking order and live together peacefully 

[Sassy]

I have two Sablepoot brothers who seem to get on well. They are a year old and seem to share the 5 girls without fuss. Might this change? Should I look at rehoming one of them?

If they are getting along together, I would leave them be.  It very much depends on the individual personalities of the birds as to whether they can work out a pecking order and live together peacefully 

It could all change in the spring though

[New shoot]

It could all change in the spring though

It could, but Jo57's boys are a year old and have just been through spring with no fisticuffs    Mine arrived as just feathered chicks mid summer and it was all out war the following spring 

The breeder I got my two from had doubled up cockerels in many of her runs as she was selecting the best bloodlines for her breeding.  She rarely had problems, so encouraged me to take two - she hated having to send them to be culled.  Just didn't work for mine - not that I would be without either, even though it cost me a new coop and run and two new girls for Alphie