Please Help, My rooster is pulling hen feathers out!!! Why???

[brwneggs]

My Isa Brown rooster pulled all the white feathers out of one hens back end. She now has no white feathers, just the red feathers. Now he is doing that to another hen. They dont seem to run from him, jump just a little, and they dont mind being around him.

Is that some kind of affection, imprint? Or being a meany?

 

[Imp]

I'd guess a meany. Think you should try to stop it, but don't know how. Maybe seperate him for a while.
Good Luck
Imp

 

[NanoByte]

Put WHITE vinegar into the drinking suppply and that will instantely make the rooster calm down. I dont know why. I tried it and it worked perfectley and it is a renowned method.
Chickens, for some reason, become un-agressive after drinking water spiked with white vinegar.

 

[honeydoll]

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That is very interesting. I never knew that. Would ACV do the same thing? Probably not.

 

[brwneggs]

It is for the hens to drink it? Is it ok in the hot weather? And I have a gallon waterer, how much white vinegar can I put in?
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[honeydoll]

brwneggs: I add ACV to my chickens waterers all year. I add 2Tbls. to 1/4c. depending on certain things. I would imagine white vinegar is much the same. My chickens love the ACV water.

 

[brwneggs]

Sorry, but what is ACV? I am still learning.
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[bald k9]

Apple Cider Vinegar

 

[brwneggs]

I did add a cup of distilled white vinegar to a 1 gallon waterer. It smells vinergerie. Maybe thats too much? I watched one of the hens take a drink and she kind a head wiggle, like when you get a sour gummy, but you go back for more, which she did. Do ya'll think its too much? I dont want to get them sick.

 

[Opa]

brwneggs, that sounds like way too much vinegar to me. I use a 1/4 cup of ACV to 7 gallons of water.

With regard to the feather loss situation, is the rooster pulling the feathers or are they losing feathers as a result of being held by his feet during breeding? Most feather loss on sides and backs are a result of breeding technique. My rooster is reasonably gentle with his feet but he does hold the hens by the feathers on their heads resulting in his favorite starting to look a little bald. While my hens don't need saddles I may have to see if I can outfit them with toques