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I have two Rhode Island Red Cockerels who are brothers. Apart from the odd skirmish and dancing round each other, they get on very well. Only thing is, Charlie 2 has to wait until Charlie 1 is on the perch before he will go in the hen shed.

A couple of nights ago, I was going out (a rare event for me!) and could not wait for Charlie 2 to go inside, so instead, herded him in with another batch of hens, which worked fine. Next morning, I let them all out, and Charlie 1 ran at the other Charlie ready for a fight. It was just the usual scuffle, and they were ok when I left for work. Returned to find Charlie 2 missing. Hunted everywhere, even next doors fields, but with the long grass it was hopeless. Assumed poor Charlie had been eaten by the fox.

Next morning, I could hear crowing ....coming from a tree in a neighbours field. At least Charlie 2 was alive! Came home from work, meaning to start looking for him, and then heard crowing in our field. Discovered him under our wall. Sadly, he was in a bad way. Looked like Charlie 1 had badly beaten him up, his comb was all battle scarred. Its a mystery how he had come from next doors field, over the wall, across the track and over our wall, the state he was in. His eyes were tightly closed.

I put him in a little run on his own, but held out little hope of him surviving.
Next day, his eyes were still shut, but he did look a little better, and still crowing when he heard anything. He has managed to eat and drink and is walking round the pen. His eyes have opened, but they look all misty and watery. I am not sure if he can see or not, but like I say he is definitely eating and drinking.

I was talking to my neighbour today, and saying I will give him a couple more days to see if he recovers any further. She said what would happen if he didn't. my reply was .....well, it would be a waste of a free range cockerel not to eat him .....I wish I hadn't said it, because she looked absolutely horrified!!

I am very upset, because he was the better of the two cockerels in my opinion!!

I have similar troubles with my lot - no.1 cockerel is much bigger than the other two so they stay clear of him, but they do have to wait their turn to get in the coop. It sounds like poor Charlie 2 has run into a corner where he couldn't escape from Charlie 1. I'd say your options are:

1. Build another coop for Charlie 2 so if you do need to shut them in before Charlie 1 is asleep in the main coop, you could herd Charlie 2 into the second coop where he should be safe from attack.

2. Don't go out! And wait until Charlie 2 can get into the coop in his own time.

3. Coq au vin for Charlie 1 or 2 - sounds like the hens prefer Charlie 1 but if you like Charlie 2 better for different reasons then I don't see why you can't have your choice.

Does that help?

Charlie 2 is a lot bigger, but obviously the other one is more dominent.
I still have him shut in his pen, but he sees the other hens next to him, so seems happy enough - well not sure if he CAN see them, but he clucks to them. Not much use keeping him if he is blind though, he would be definitely fox fodder.

I suppose as he is walking about his pen, eating and drinking and seems ok, he will come to no harm. He can still hear the hens round him ....I am a big softie with my animals! Will see how he goes on.