bleeding from being pecked during molt

[HenniesInMyHeart]

YAY so glad our posts were useful! Your pics confirm it, it's your roo. She must be his favorite (they always seem to have their favorite hens to mate with). She will get used to the saddle, and yes now she can go back with the others!
+3 to the roo getting a time-out if he is getting out of hand. How many hens do you have btw? Does the roo mate with the other girls or just this poor lady?

 

[chickenmeadow]

In my flock there are two Black Australorp hens that seem to be my roosters favorites for breeding. When their backs look bald with only feather quills that never seem to open & replace with full feathers, they get a chicken apron. I've found that the other hens pluck out the quills before they ever open up, maybe do some pecking to bloody &/or the rooster's breeding keeps irritating their bald back skin. So, I apply some no pick solution from our local feed/grain store, put on a chicken apron (ordered online, BYC may have some for sale), & the apron is left on until the new feather quills are fully opened & the bald area in newly covered. It seems to start up every year in Spring (now). The hens don't mind the aprons & they get relief from the irritated skin; the aprons rumple sometimes, but later right themselves. It then becomes carefree & no need to separate anyone of them. Best wishes.

 

[1n0o]

YAY so glad our posts were useful! Your pics confirm it, it's your roo. She must be his favorite (they always seem to have their favorite hens to mate with). She will get used to the saddle, and yes now she can go back with the others!
+3 to the roo getting a time-out if he is getting out of hand. How many hens do you have btw? Does the roo mate with the other girls or just this poor lady?

I have 5 hens. He does like the Black Australorp the best. He breeds them all, though. All in all....he is a sweet boy and is good to them. Even a few of the others have a few missing feather, but not many. My mom is making more for me.

 

[HenniesInMyHeart]

I have 5 hens. He does like the Black Australorp the best. He breeds them all, though. All in all....he is a sweet boy and is good to them. Even a few of the others have a few missing feather, but not many. My mom is making more for me.

Yay for awesome moms!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

In my flock there are two Black Australorp hens that seem to be my roosters favorites for breeding. When their backs look bald with only feather quills that never seem to open & replace with full feathers, they get a chicken apron. I've found that the other hens pluck out the quills before they ever open up, maybe do some pecking to bloody &/or the rooster's breeding keeps irritating their bald back skin. So, I apply some no pick solution from our local feed/grain store, put on a chicken apron (ordered online, BYC may have some for sale), & the apron is left on until the new feather quills are fully opened & the bald area in newly covered. It seems to start up every year in Spring (now). The hens don't mind the aprons & they get relief from the irritated skin; the aprons rumple sometimes, but later right themselves. It then becomes carefree & no need to separate anyone of them. Best wishes.

I know each situation will be different, and that we are here to learn from each other...

Mating too much doesn't make a bad boy... it makes a boy... WHO doesn't have enough hens or maturity.... OR maybe something else.

Aprons don't help the back of the head if it starts to bald. I personally KNOW about over mating... and prevent it by providing a much needed time out for my boys... ESPECIALLY early spring when hormones are raging. My boys get conjugal visits at regularly scheduled intervals... and my fertility is fine and SO are my ladies.

How is it that people keep trio's without this issue?

Also... I guess for me... I got ZERO tolerance for bullies... male OR female.

There is always someone molting... I NEVER have picking issues from my other hens... or they will quickly be put in check. I will put a little chase to them if I catch them constantly going after a specific individual. If it keeps up after some chasing and time outs... they will either be rehomed (with my reason disclosed) or they will be processed. Attitude breeds forward. And habits are learned... monkey see, chicken do!

I rule this roost... And just because they have an egg hole between their legs doesn't give them special rights to bully.

Yep, my boys and gals both pace the fence if they are separated. Crowing doesn't usually increase much if at all, in my experience... unless another boy has been added. If it does increase it's usually very short term.

OK, one more option... which I am HEAVILY considering... is rooster tie outs... so the females can come by and be serviced when the like but not harassed constantly.

I don't mean to come off sounding judgey if I did. Just mean to share my experiences and perspective. Thank you for considering and for letting me share. I know NONE of us want ANY of our birds to suffer! The aprons look great.

 

[1n0o]

This morning I chased my rooster all over the yard. He tried to breed her over and over as soon as I woke them up and let them out. I was out just after sunrise. I first time I had walked around the coop to open the other door, the second time I pushed him off her while another hen was pecking at him (never saw that before) It's like his hormones are going bonkers. He then kept doing his little one footed dance...dipping his wing trying to get close to her and I just kept chasing him. I couldn't catch him and he was giving me quite the stink eye. Finally, he gave up and they all settled down and I had to leave for work. He is still ticked off this afternoon. I went outside after work and he normally runs up to me, but today, he jumped up on his "King" stump and crowed....so I chased him again. Anyhoo.....the saddle is working great and she seems content and happy. No concerns since I've been home. In fact, she is running over to him when he calls out a treat. I noticed his other favorite is starting to loose feathers. Saddle for her also. I've had him for almost a year now and this is a new issue? Is spring fever a real thing for roosters?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

but today, he jumped up on his "King" stump and crowed....so I chased him again.

Don't chase him any more... or he may become aggressive towards you. In my experience, chasing escalates the situation. And I'm not trying to be seen as part of the pecking order. If you need to... look into some rooster training techniques, but the crowing AT YOU... that's a sign of things to come.

First thing in the morning and last thing in the evening is when the boys seem to be the randiest. Sometimes I will add my boy from the stag pen in with the ladies after the morning rush has passed. And I don't let my stags out until about 8 Am, as a courtesy to my neighbors for one. But also because their is less activity at the fence once the girls have dispersed from the feeding area. I'm not sure if it helps or not. But chickens are stupid... given the chance he might mate her to death... it's been done. You are already aware though and so I'm sure it won't go that far, assuming she is still strong and healthy... and I think that is how she sounds by your description.

They look lovely.

If his age is the same as how long you've had him... he is facing another maturing point probably right now... hopefully it shapes up good for you both.

Yes it's true that hormones are starting to rage more as light is increasing. I don't know how the males hormones are controlled but even if it's sensing pheromones from the ladies and not light driven like theirs is... then it would still correlate to spring since egg production does ramp up in spring. And I see my boys go extra wild with excitement when they hear a lady sing her egg song. They know she is fertile and they want desperately to spread their seed to her. Fascinating creatures!

 

[1n0o]

Don't chase him any more... or he may become aggressive towards you. In my experience, chasing escalates the situation. And I'm not trying to be seen as part of the pecking order. If you need to... look into some rooster training techniques, but the crowing AT YOU... that's a sign of things to come.

First thing in the morning and last thing in the evening is when the boys seem to be the randiest. Sometimes I will add my boy from the stag pen in with the ladies after the morning rush has passed. And I don't let my stags out until about 8 Am, as a courtesy to my neighbors for one. But also because their is less activity at the fence once the girls have dispersed from the feeding area. I'm not sure if it helps or not. But chickens are stupid... given the chance he might mate her to death... it's been done. You are already aware though and so I'm sure it won't go that far, assuming she is still strong and healthy... and I think that is how she sounds by your description.

They look lovely.

If his age is the same as how long you've had him... he is facing another maturing point probably right now... hopefully it shapes up good for you both.

Yes it's true that hormones are starting to rage more as light is increasing. I don't know how the males hormones are controlled but even if it's sensing pheromones from the ladies and not light driven like theirs is... then it would still correlate to spring since egg production does ramp up in spring. And I see my boys go extra wild with excitement when they hear a lady sing her egg song. They know she is fertile and they want desperately to spread their seed to her. Fascinating creatures!

rooster training.....will do research on that one. I went out at bedtime and stroked him for a bit. I think he forgave me. He's never been aggressive one tiny bit toward any of us. He was 'a little over a year old" when I bought him last summer. Hoping this spring thing passes quickly. thanks for the advice.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

He was 'a little over a year old" when I bought him last summer.

His age and no bad history... are looking to be in his favor still. So hopefully you will be able to manage without flipping his switch. Boys don't get to that age by being jerks so hopefully you all will live happily ever after.

 

[Machooks]

I have the same problem with my molting hen. The pecking got to the point where my hens pulled her quills out and caused her to bleed. We have isolated her from the other flock for a day and a bit now, we have sprayed her with purple wound spray to try and deter the redness that is attracting the pecking. We also sprayed her with Anti-Peck. Then we tried to introduce her back to the others, it didn't work! They even had a treat in their run to try and distract my hens from Mabel (injured hen), they 2 of the hens igored the treat and went for Mabel. We have now got her back in isolation, where they all can still see each other. We are going to try another day but put her in at dusk on the perches.