Chicken saddle drama

[ray6082]

Hello!
Searching for help regarding chicken saddles. My previous roo really tore up my EE’s feathers pretty bad. I had a saddle on her, but it only covered part of the feathers so I ordered a different type. I put it on her last night and she freaked out, even though I did it when she was roosting. My new rooster must have thought it was a predator attacking her given her reaction because he went after her. It caused quite the drama. Well I have two coops so I closed the one off with her in it just to be sure he wouldn’t bother her and she couldn’t cause any more chaos and checked on her in the morning. She seemed perfectly fine with the saddle, but the rooster kept coming after her and chasing her. Is this normal or do you think he was still trying to protect her from the saddle? Perhaps he didn’t recognize her??? I don’t know what to do because she really needs to have one on and I don’t want to separate her.

 

[Mvan42]

Could it be the color of the saddle? She may need to be apart long enough to grow feathers and heal. Also is she is favorite "girl" . How old is your roo

 

[ray6082]

Could it be the color of the saddle? She may need to be apart long enough to grow feathers and heal. Also is she is favorite "girl" . How old is your roo

Hi sorry, BYC didn’t notify me of your response.
I don’t think so. She’s white and the saddle is yellow and I had a different one on another chicken and he did the same thing. I may have to keep her separate as much as I don’t want to. It could be weeks then I have to worry about reintroducing and she’s already the low man on the totem pole.

 

[ray6082]

Anymore help on this? It would be greatly appreciated! I thought of putting her in a cage in the run or him in a tractor outside of the run, but I worry he won’t be safe from predators outside of it in the tractor. I don’t know if he sees her okay with it on if he will learn to ignore it. As I stated previously, I realize I could isolate, however I feel bad leaving her on her own. She wouldn’t be able to free range or anything with them as long as she still wore a saddle and he was out, too.

 

[MissE]

Anymore help on this? It would be greatly appreciated! I thought of putting her in a cage in the run or him in a tractor outside of the run, but I worry he won’t be safe from predators outside of it in the tractor. I don’t know if he sees her okay with it on if he will learn to ignore it. As I stated previously, I realize I could isolate, however I feel bad leaving her on her own. She wouldn’t be able to free range or anything with them as long as she still wore a saddle and he was out, too.

I don't use saddles. Yes, I have some bare backs, but none of the girls seem bothered by the rooster, and they follow him everywhere. You'd think with 22 hens and pullets and one rooster it wouldn't be an issue with over mating, but 2/3 are missing some feathers and a couple are really bald.

If the hen doesn't like the saddle and the rooster doesn't like the saddle, try trimming his spurs.

 

[HenneryTheEighth]

It is odd that both roosters attached her when she was wearing the saddle. (Unless I misunderstood that.) I would separate the rooster for now and give her a chance to recover.

 

[ray6082]

It is odd that both roosters attached her when she was wearing the saddle. (Unless I misunderstood that.) I would separate the rooster for now and give her a chance to recover.

Hi!

I meant he went after both hens that had saddles on. My other rooster did not bother with the saddles but he bothered with everything else. He was a mean bugger

 

[NatJ]

I thought of putting her in a cage in the run or him in a tractor outside of the run, but I worry he won’t be safe from predators outside of it in the tractor. I don’t know if he sees her okay with it on if he will learn to ignore it.

Maybe put him in a cage in the run. That would keep him safe, and give him a good chance to get used to seeing the saddles on the hens.

As I stated previously, I realize I could isolate, however I feel bad leaving her on her own.

You might be able to separate her with a companion or two, rather than having her completely alone.