Bald spots on head (from roo) – how to prevent

[wordgirl]

Our roo is quite rough when he's doing what he does and several of our hens are missing feathers on their backs, wings, and heads. Not all of them, but quite a few. I'm hoping to make/buy some chicken saddles, which will cover the back and wing problem, but what do I about their necks? I don't know if they mind, but they sure don't look very nice with bald spots on their heads! Is there any way I can help?

 

[woolychicken]

i know what you are talking about i have the same problem with my roo i hate to do any thing to him i have had him since he was an egg

. so i plan on putting some of my hens in another pen with out side axcess also ,kind of a hen vacation. till i find out what to do next
wonderful question i hope we find out what to do!

thank wooly

 

[krstms]

I would love to know the answer to this as well. The problem with my roo is he has chosen only one hen to "bother" constantly and she is bald on top of her head. I too intend to make saddles but I'm not sure what to do about the head. I have been removing her from his area but would like to know how to protect her so she can stay with the rest of the flock.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

There's really nothing you can do if you keep them with a roo. This is how they hang on and get their deed done. Some of them are rougher than others. The roo over my buffs has snatched them bald, however my cuckoo maran boy is very gentle and all of my girls still have their "hair".

This made me so mad last year that I rehomed my roo and now this one has done the same thing. Unfortunately the feathers won't come back until after a molt. Or at least that was my experience.

 

[krstms]

Wonder if you could make them a bonnet.... lol wouldnt that be cute.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

Well, my (now ex) rooster, pulled all the feathers out of the girls head and down their necks about 3". I would see him grab their necks and pull feathers and shake them from his mouth, then walk over the girls and crow... Nothing seemed to help. I tried to refocus his attention to hanging cabbages, apples, filling the suet cakes with nice fresh greens, I tried giving the girls a break for a while by removing him for several hours a day. It only made him more angry and vicious w/ them when he got out of 'jail'... He was a year old and still wasn't nice--So, I got rid of him.. He went to live somewhere else, I gave them full disclosure but they wanted him anyway.. It's been 5 days and my girls are calmer, egg production is up, and they are all flocking together.. For over 8months my largest BO hen 'lived' away from the flock--She if they were in the grass, she was in the woods, if they were in the coop, she was in the run... NEVER staying around for more than a few seconds... Since Monday, she is right in the middle of the flock....even my colored egg girls are hanging around the big flock...

What made me decide it was time for him to go....He kill one of my hens and hurt another's leg.. Please keep an eye on him.. Someone told me ---there are too many good roosters that need good homes to tolorate a mean/bad one...

 

[mypicklebird]

Why do you have him? If it is for flock protection- get another rooster that is better with his hens. If it is for fertile eggs- pen him separately, and let him in 1-2 weeks prior to collection of hatching eggs, or get a nicer rooster and leave them in together. If no particular reason other than you like this particular rooster, pen him separately. There really are many nice roosters in the world that would love to have a shot at living a good life with some hens- why keep one that is rough or aggressive unless you are trying to breed for this tendency? How many hens do you have with him if only 3 or 4, adding 6 more may help to spread around his grabbiness- but he may just do it to all of them...

 

[krstms]

My roo is not mean to the girls he is just grabbing on to do his business. He doesnt do it any other time. He is fairly gentle with them, he just favors one hen and she gets a little overused. I do like him for both flock protection and fertility reasons. I would rather not get rid of him or pen him alone unless it is absolutely necessary. He has 6 hens right now. Does he really need more? Again not all are bald, just the one he favors and mates with most often.

 

[purr]

I would try getting him more hens , maybe he'll take to one and then the first one will get a little break