Chicken Saddles

[bpoore04]

So I’m just trying to think a few months ahead on this one. So I had 19 hens/pullets and 1 cockerel. Well I don’t know for sure if he just had a few favorites or if there were a few with fragile feather shafts but we have about 5-6 out of the 19 to have feathers gone and out of those 5-6, 1-2 you can see their actual skin and not just the fluff like on the others. And I read that their feathers wouldn’t grow back until they molted. Well we got rid of him and he’s been gone for about a month or so but we had hatched some chicks and 2 out of the 4 of them are cockerels. By the time that they are getting their feathers back the two baby cockerels that I have now will be ready to mate. So I put all that to ask these questions. Should I get chicken saddles for the ones with feather loss? Do chicken saddles harm them? Is there something else you would recommend instead? I would like to hear some thoughts and opinions about them. I also hope that this makes sense. Thanks in advance!

 

[Petroschickens]

So I’m just trying to think a few months ahead on this one. So I had 19 hens/pullets and 1 cockerel. Well I don’t know for sure if he just had a few favorites or if there were a few with fragile feather shafts but we have about 5-6 out of the 19 to have feathers gone and out of those 5-6, 1-2 you can see their actual skin and not just the fluff like on the others. And I read that their feathers wouldn’t grow back until they molted. Well we got rid of him and he’s been gone for about a month or so but we had hatched some chicks and 2 out of the 4 of them are cockerels. By the time that they are getting their feathers back the two baby cockerels that I have now will be ready to mate. So I put all that to ask these questions. Should I get chicken saddles for the ones with feather loss? Do chicken saddles harm them? Is there something else you would recommend instead? I would like to hear some thoughts and opinions about them. I also hope that this makes sense. Thanks in advance!

I don't see how it can hurt anything

 

[aart]

Things may be different this time around with a young cockerel and the now older hens.
They should take him to school and teach him some manners.

If you really want a male, keep just one.
No reason to have any males if you're not planning on hatching eggs form your flock.

Saddles can help.
Keep an eye underneath tho, bugs can gather there, and they can interfere with feathers growing during molting time.

 

[bpoore04]

Things may be different this time around with a young cockerel and the now older hens.
They should take him to school and teach him some manners.

If you really want a male, keep just one.
No reason to have any males if you're not planning on hatching eggs form your flock.

I do want a male because I plan on hatching some more out but I don’t really know how those two act yet and so I don’t want to give one away and then be left with a mean one. Does that make sense? The cockerel that we had was a huge jerk so I’m just waiting to see if either of those end up like him and then they will either be sold or go to freezer camp

 

[aart]

I do want a male because I plan on hatching some more out but I don’t really know how those two act yet and so I don’t want to give one away and then be left with a mean one. Does that make sense?

Yes, it makes sense. But it can be hard to choose when both are there.
They act differently when there's only one.
Sometimes ya just gotta pick one and hope, and behave, for the best.