I recently got a nearly year old Buff Orpington Roo with a hen (welsummer cross). I have them seperated from my flock (11 months old), they are getting treated for worms, lice/ mites, and given Vitamin injection as both are underweight, treating for scaly leg mites as some scales are upturned. I can feel the keel bone prominent in both. They were just fed scratch grains for feed. Looking him over he has a very fluffy rear end that has feather fluff right up to the edge of his vent. I had a bit of a time finding his vent! (Made dusting him interesting too) It looks like it would be hard to make contact for breeding. How much fluff can I cut off of him to make it easier to breed when his quarentine time is over and start of introduction to my flock? Is there a way to cover or stop the growth of his spurs? Any additions I should make to feed to get weight up to normal? I think he may be 6 lbs and that is underweight for breed? Should I consider Artificial insemination or will the trimming be enough? He has a very deep voice, gentle and haven't had any problem handling him. Was quiet while being dusted, sat quietly getting his legs rubbed with vaseline, only flinched when given shot. Active walks around well, let's his voice be heard by my girls and they answer him even not being able to see him. His hen buddy on the other hand may be younger and is a screamer for being held. My EE's, welsummers, California greys have a lot of fluff too, should I start trimming the feathers on them too to make it easier for mating? Advice, suggestions, ideas are very appreciated. Thanks! Sara Oh also had a mucus build up in throat that I thought was a worm at first, so on a tylan treatment to clear it up. No mucus in eyes, nostrils, a bit of a wheeze from mucus in throat. 2nd day of treatment Saturday mucus nearly gone, let out a full throated crow that didn't sound at all muffled. Hen showing improvement too. Both eating very well now they know what pellets are.
Well I would not trim anything on anybody. Unless there is a genetic physical deformity, they should breed just fine, and if there IS a deformity that is interfering with breeding, you do not want to introduce that to your flock. After you turn him in with the girls, wait a couple of weeks, and if you do not have fertile eggs, then get a different rooster. But if he is crowing, he is interested, and he will more than likely get the job done. Mrs K
I agree, don't trim at all. I believe those feathers have a purpose, and I'd think the clipped quill ends could cause pain during mating. If he's in that bad of shape, it may impact his fertility. I'd wait a good month or so before really checking for fertile eggs, then just see how things go. I would never use artificial insemination--in my opinion if something can't reproduce naturally, it doesn't need to be passing those genes on. I'm betting once he gets some health back, you'll have fertile eggs from every hen, as long as you don't have more than 15 or so total.
Ok I won't trim any of his feathers. I just had to clean the dirty feathers up from dried dung, I think he is reacting to the change in more nutrition balanced feed. So far he is mating with the hen he is confined with no problem, actually not that rough about it as she hasn't lost feathers from the ordeal. My sister and I have found we like orpingtons very much and are going to try to get him some ladies of his own breed. Our original girls will either have to share him or we will find another roo. We do have the ability to seperate into 2 flocks we have 5 acres, we can add runs for them to wander as long as we protect from overhead predators and lock them up in a seperated coop at night.
