Hens missing feathers

[TJakeman]

So my grandfather-in-law has decided he doesn't have time to look after his chickens anymore and has given them to me. There are 10 hens and 1 make. 8 of the hens are missing feathers on their backs just above the tail feathers with 2 of them looking really red and irritated.
I have done some reading up and have seen that this is most probably caused by the male. I have put him in a different coop for now, should I keep the make separated from the hens, when they are healed up do they need the male back in the coop with them?
Thank you for your help

 

[Gray Farms]

Keep him separated until the get their feathers back. Or just rehome him.

 

[Little Chicken Girl]

So my grandfather-in-law has decided he doesn't have time to look after his chickens anymore and has given them to me. There are 10 hens and 1 make. 8 of the hens are missing feathers on their backs just above the tail feathers with 2 of them looking really red and irritated.
I have done some reading up and have seen that this is most probably caused by the male. I have put him in a different coop for now, should I keep the make separated from the hens, when they are healed up do they need the male back in the coop with them?
Thank you for your help

Welcome to BYC!
That is a very good question! Although I am not an expert, here is my best answer...

Over-mounting is definitely an issue for some roosters. However, balding saddle feathers are not always caused by over-mounting. Understanding 'why' is important for preventing the issue from reoccurring.
I would keep the hens separate until their feathers regrow but I would also try to find out why the rooster is causing damage. Oftentimes, it is mendable and does not require permanent separation or re-homing. Although I do not know what the heart of the problem is for your flock, here are some of the most common causes (I hope that this information is helpful to you ):​

Space: Roosters over-mount the hens if they are stressed from lack of space. Flocks with roosters may sometimes need up to 2X the space to be happy and healthy as flocks made up of purely hens. For this reason, over-mounting is much less likely to occur in free-range flocks.

Spur length: This is a big one. Many roosters that do not over-mount can still cause damage to hens' backs if their spurs get to long. Spur trimming mends the problem.

Multiple Roosters: roosters often compete for supremacy. If there are multiple roosters in the flock, they may show competative behavior by over-mounting.

Age: Once a cockerel (young rooster) reaches maturity, he will often be a overzealous when mounting. Roosters usually slow down a little once they reach 2-3 years of age.

Deficiency: In cases where the hens are deficient in vitamins/minerals and/or protein, their feathers can become brittle. Brittle feathers are easily broken by mating even if the rooster is not mounting overmuch. Commercial layer ration feed/feather fixer feed and/or dietary supplementation will fix brittle feathers. However, it may take up to a year for the feathers to become strong again.