Beat up hens?

[L&Schickens]

I got some chickens from a friend of mine who had to get rid of them due to the city of Simi Valley being anoying.
Anyway, they came froma small pen with 2 roosters and 2 hens. When I got them the hens were beat up. I put them in a large pen with 5 other hens and only one of the 2 roos. I also let them out every other day. (I have to rotate my chickens that get to be out in order to keep rooster fighting to a minimum.) The cage is large, but I am sure could be bigger.
Well, now I have noticed that one hen is even worst now then she was when she got here. I seperated out the roo and he now lives with the peas. I am planning on keeping him out until the feathers grow back, but I don't know if that will ever happen.
All the chickens in question are Ameracanas, with the exception of one. Four of the hens are not laying yet, and look perfect. I guess he is not breeding them at all yet.
So, what do you think? Should I just keep the roo out for a while or is this normal? I personally whould not keep him at all, but he is my friend's bird and I might want EE babies some day anyway.

 

[silkiechicken]

2 roos and 2 girls = bald backs.

1 roo and 5 girls = still a chance for bald backs.

That one girl must be their favorite, the feathers will come back after moult.

 

[chickenannie]

Your ratio of hens to roos is too low. The hens are going to continue getting beat up unless you get more hens, or keep the roo out. You might want to read this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=71736

 

[chicksinthemachine]

It seems to me to put her up so she can heal and then bring her into the other hen's pen..Once my chickens see one has been pecked they all seem to do it. Don't know if mine are just ornery or not, most likely just spoiled and ornery. And I think the ration between hens and roos are approximately 4-5(if not more)per roo.

 

[silkiechicken]

Generally you want to go with 10 girls min per roo. Results will vary though.

 

[chicksinthemachine]

Do you think mine would be okay with two roos and 8 hens, maybe seperate them into two catagories?

 

[chickenannie]

I would not keep 8 hens with 2 roos, separated in 2 groups or not. The reason is that the roos will overbreed the hens and tear them up. When my hen/roo ratio is too low, I can't stand to see how badly the hens are treated and how they get their head and back feathers bloodied and torn out. You could keep 1 roo or both totally separated from the hens if you really need to keep 2 roos.

 

[L&Schickens]

There are currently NO roos with these hens. I have only had one of the roos with them here at my place. Where they came from had 2 roos and the 2 hens together. I never housed the 2 roos in with the hens.

So, I think I am going to wait until the girls feather back up. I have had Sunshine, the one roo, in with 7 hens. Even with the 7 hens, 3 are beat up and the one brown hen has gotten really bad. She was pretty beat up when she got here, but is now worse, even though the single roo had a total of 7 hens.
I am going to trim his spurs back and keep them that way even after I put him back in with the hens.

 

[L&Schickens]

I let all the hens out today WITHOUT the roo and they are having the BEST time!! They love not being bossed around by that stinking roo!!
Now Sunshine is less then happy. He is NOT out with the hens bossing them around and he is quite up set about it. Too bad for him. He will just have to get over it.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Can you put a chicken saddle on her, while she heals? It would give her protection not only from a roo during mating, but also from any hen that might start pecking at the reddened area.

You can buy them or make them yourself. If you do a search, there might even be a picture or pattern on the forum or definitely on the web. It just looks like a cape for their back, with elastic straps that go around the wings, to hold it on.