Beep-Beep the Rescued Cockerel.

Ear infection and scaly leg mites

This sweet boy originally came to Karen’s Kind (a registered charity and microsanctuary in Bristol) as a special care patient. His owner noticed he was unwell, but they had a broken arm and weren't able to take care of him.

On arrival, Karen’s Kind placed Beep into biosecure quarantine away from the resident hens. Overalls, gloves, masks, and clean shoes were worn on entering Beep’s enclosure to protect the resident hens from any infections Beep may have been carrying.

Karen’s Kind quickly noticed Beep had a crusty, swollen ear (green arrow), and he was shaking his head and yawning. This needed some attention, and Karen's Kind booked an appointment with me at the Chicken Clinic. I gave Beep a full health check and realised the ear needed to be cleaned up. I gave Beep injections of pain relief and sedation before cleaning out the ear, removing a large plug of hard pus. He was quite sore and was prescribed ongoing pain relief and an antibiotic ear ointment, and he returned home.

Beeps good side!

Before: hard pus has blocked the ear canal

After: the ear canal is now open

Beep also had his spurs trimmed and was treated for scaly leg mites, including daily foot soaks to soften and remove the hard crust (green arrows), which is very common in scaly leg mite infestations.

Scaly leg mite infestation

Sadly, a couple of months later, Beep-Beep returned to Karen’s Kind, this time indefinitely and with 3 ladies... His flock had been attacked by predators, and they all needed to be rehomed for their safety. He had been reinfected with scaly leg mites and his ear infection had returned... this time in both ears!

Despite this poor boy having had a run of bad luck, he’s now recovered. He's a sweet and gentle chap who just wants to be loved!

Please note Karen’s Kind do not routinely rescue cockerels; this was an exception due to Beep-Beep’s poor condition. He and his ladies are still looking for their forever home.If you would like to rehome Beep and his ladies, please contact Karen’s Kind.

If you can't rehome any birds at the moment, please consider a donation to support the charity's rescue work.

Beep-Beep and his flock

Beep-Beep

Beep-Beep and his flock