- Feb 15, 2013
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Hello, chicken people! I would love some advice. I’ve read some things on here about roosters injuring hens, but I guess I just need some more information. We have two really big roosters (one buff orpington and one Easter egger who was supposed to be a hen... yeah, we know how that goes.) We have eight hens... buffs, Easter Eggers, and black sex link. All are of a decent size. Most of our hens are beat up, and two have deep wounds under their wings. (They each have one only one deep wound thankfully.) We have cleaned the wounds and put chicken saddles on them to protect their backs and to allow the wounds to heal, but now I’m worried about the other hens. Some are obviously the favorites of the roos and are missing more feathers, but what mostly concerns me are the deep wounds. I can’t tell which rooster is causing the damage, and it could be both. I feel like such a bad chicken mom!
Aside from putting saddles on the hens, is there something else we can do? Do we need to trim the toenails or spurs of the roosters, and will that stop the deep cuts? Also, after the feathers grow back, will the hens just lose them again because of the roosters if we remove the saddles?
I’ve kept all kinds of chickens for over a decade, and I’ve never had this problem before. (My last roo was a very sweet buff orpington who never caused any trouble.) I don’t know if the roosters are competing or if it’s just one of them causing the damage. I felt so bad when I went to put the saddles on the hens who were missing feathers and saw that two were deeply injured! Is this normal?
I can re-home one or both of the roosters with my brother, but I really like them and would like to keep them if possible. Has anyone had any luck in a situation like this? I’m hoping my girls won’t constantly have to wear saddles after their feathers grow in, but I’m willing to lose the roos if my girls are going to suffer these injuries or be stuck in saddles year round.
MAIN QUESTION: Is it the roosters’ toenails or spurs that are cutting my hens, and will trimming them fix the problem? Any advice would be helpful! Thanks.
Aside from putting saddles on the hens, is there something else we can do? Do we need to trim the toenails or spurs of the roosters, and will that stop the deep cuts? Also, after the feathers grow back, will the hens just lose them again because of the roosters if we remove the saddles?
I’ve kept all kinds of chickens for over a decade, and I’ve never had this problem before. (My last roo was a very sweet buff orpington who never caused any trouble.) I don’t know if the roosters are competing or if it’s just one of them causing the damage. I felt so bad when I went to put the saddles on the hens who were missing feathers and saw that two were deeply injured! Is this normal?
I can re-home one or both of the roosters with my brother, but I really like them and would like to keep them if possible. Has anyone had any luck in a situation like this? I’m hoping my girls won’t constantly have to wear saddles after their feathers grow in, but I’m willing to lose the roos if my girls are going to suffer these injuries or be stuck in saddles year round.
MAIN QUESTION: Is it the roosters’ toenails or spurs that are cutting my hens, and will trimming them fix the problem? Any advice would be helpful! Thanks.