Chicken saddles?

[Saymay91]

Hi ya'll! So it's mid-June, I'm in NC. We had 3 roos with four hens (in one coop/run) until we recently rehomed 2 of the roos (a month or so ago) we rehomed them due to our hens getting wore ragged. We've sprayed Blu kote to help with feather regrowth, hasn't helped much.
So my question is, is it too hot to put chicken saddles on our ladies? I read I can cut out a chicken saddle pattern from felt and it should stay on without elastic(?) So that's my plan, but I'm scared felt fabric may be too hot for them right now. Should I wait until it cools down?
More questions, lol... How long should I leave the saddles on? During the day only? A couple weeks without removing?
Thank you for any and all advice!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

hens getting wore ragged. We've sprayed Blu kote to help with feather regrowth, hasn't helped much.

is it too hot to put chicken saddles on our ladies?

I'm scared felt fabric may be too hot for them right now. Should I wait until it cools down?
More questions, lol... How long should I leave the saddles on? During the day only? A couple weeks without removing?
Thank you for any and all advice!

Do you have photos of the damage?

Most feather loss from rooster mating is broken and/or rubbed off feathers. Look closely at your hens, likely you will see the feather shaft is still intact (in the skin), so re-growth won't occur until the hens go through their annual molt.

Felt is probably too hot right now if you are having temps that I have. I did use saddles on my girls year round with no problems but they were a canvas/duck cloth base with cotton/cotton blend top. Now...I do use fans in my runs and in my coop to help with air flow, the girls also had shade. Saddles are not perfect and may need to be adjusted, inspected for loose threads and replaced periodically. They need to be loose enough so the girls can get out of them if they get caught and they should be able to move their wings freely and be able fly up and down from roosts and dust bath. You still need to inspect the skin at least once a week for any damage that the rooster may cause, nails and spurs can still slip under wings and/or the fabric and cut your hens. Feathers under the saddle may still be rubbed off due to friction from the fabric and from mating.

IF you free range at all, then you would want to monitor your hens even more closely since saddles can get caught in briars, underbrush, etc.

 

[leighks]

I use hen saddles too because of an overly amorous rooster. This is the first summer with them on, but they are pretty bare- backed and need them. I would think felt would be too hot. I bought Hen Saver hen saddles on Amazon for about $8 each I think. They are like a softish canvas, and don’t seem too hot. They stay on well and can be washed. Highly recommend.

 

[Saymay91]

Do you have photos of the damage?

Most feather loss from rooster mating is broken and/or rubbed off feathers. Look closely at your hens, likely you will see the feather shaft is still intact (in the skin), so re-growth won't occur until the hens go through their annual molt.

Felt is probably too hot right now if you are having temps that I have. I did use saddles on my girls year round with no problems but they were a canvas/duck cloth base with cotton/cotton blend top. Now...I do use fans in my runs and in my coop to help with air flow, the girls also had shade. Saddles are not perfect and may need to be adjusted, inspected for loose threads and replaced periodically. They need to be loose enough so the girls can get out of them if they get caught and they should be able to move their wings freely and be able fly up and down from roosts and dust bath. You still need to inspect the skin at least once a week for any damage that the rooster may cause, nails and spurs can still slip under wings and/or the fabric and cut your hens. Feathers under the saddle may still be rubbed off due to friction from the fabric and from mating.

IF you free range at all, then you would want to monitor your hens even more closely since saddles can get caught in briars, underbrush, etc.

They do get supervised free roam on pretty days, but other than that they're in their coop.
Here's a recent photo.

 

[Saymay91]

I use hen saddles too because of an overly amorous rooster. This is the first summer with them on, but they are pretty bare- backed and need them. I would think felt would be too hot. I bought Hen Saver hen saddles on Amazon for about $8 each I think. They are like a softish canvas, and don’t seem too hot. They stay on well and can be washed. Highly recommend.

I will have to look for those, thank you!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They do get supervised free roam on pretty days, but other than that they're in their coop.
Here's a recent photo.
View attachment 1433383

Thanks for the photo. They won't grow in new feathers until they molt. I had some girls that looked that way too.

 

[Saymay91]

Thanks for the photo. They won't grow in new feathers until they molt. I had some girls that looked that way too.

I read molting is usually between June and early fall... what exactly is molting? This is our third year with chickens... I think, lol. I haven't really noticed any sort of molting signs before, unless it's more than just feather loss..?
Sorry, three years and I still feel pretty new at chicken keeping.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Most birds do molt in late summer or early fall. I have a few that wait until the dead of winter to do it.
Molting is the annual shedding and regrowth of feathers. I'm sure you have experienced it Each bird molts a little differently, some just replace neck, wing and tail feathers while some seem to lose every feather they own and look like porcupines (my dead of winter girls do this).