How to keep rooster from injuring hens during mating?

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

I’m starting to have an issue with my rooster cutting my hens badly during mating, what are ways I can stop this from happening? I’m hatching chicks from them now so I didn’t want to have to separate the rooster but of course I’ve separated the injured hens. It just keeps happening and I’m not sure what the best approach is. My rooster is around 8 months old so he is pretty young and he has 6 hens with him that are the same age. Honestly he isn’t an aggressive rooster and doesn’t seem to be over breeding. Will filing his nails help or does he just need more experience to breed them properly?

 

[DobieLover]

An 8 month old cockerel has no spurs to speak of. Can you post pictures of his feet? I would trim all his nails and file them to round and blunt them to start.
I've never had a cockerel injure a pullet/hen so I would not consider it normal for a sloppy mater to do so.
Do your birds have access to ground where they can wear their nails down by scratching?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

All of the above. You can trim his nails, being very careful nbot to hit the quick. Normally, when free ranging, their scratching will keep the nails in check.
He needs more experience and possibly more hens.
You can also separate him for a week at a time. Once mated, the hens will lay fertile eggs for at least 2 weeks.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

An 8 month old cockerel has no spurs to speak of. Can you post pictures of his feet? I would trim all his nails and file them to round and blunt them to start.
I've never had a cockerel injure a pullet/hen so I would not consider it normal for a sloppy mater to do so.
Do your birds have access to ground where they can wear their nails down by scratching?

Yes they have access to the the ground, honestly I’ve found it strange also, his nails don’t look to bad to me but I’m definitely going to try filling them.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

All of the above. You can trim his nails, being very careful nbot to hit the quick. Normally, when free ranging, their scratching will keep the nails in check.
He needs more experience and possibly more hens.
You can also separate him for a week at a time. Once mated, the hens will lay fertile eggs for at least 2 weeks.

If I accidentally hit the quick how do I treat it just in case?
That’s interesting about them being fertile for 2 weeks, I actually didn’t know that. I may separate if nothing else works.

 

[McChooky]

Yes they have access to the the ground, honestly I’ve found it strange also, his nails don’t look to bad to me but I’m definitely going to try filling them.

I've never known anyone to file their nails -only their spurs. I use dog clippers to trim my roosters spurs.They looked like daggers sticking out of his legs and I was afraid he could puncture one of the girls when he mates them. They don't look much better after being trimmed.They're still long but I can't go any shorter without Quicking him. I think my rooster is older than they said he was because spurs don't get this long in 2 years.

 

[McChooky]

If I accidentally hit the quick how do I treat it just in case?
That’s interesting about them being fertile for 2 weeks, I actually didn’t know that. I may separate if nothing else works.

I add turmeric powder to flour.The flour stops the bleeding and the turmeric helps prevent infection.

 

[DobieLover]

Yes they have access to the the ground, honestly I’ve found it strange also, his nails don’t look to bad to me but I’m definitely going to try filling them.

His feet aren't bad at all. Where on their bodies are the pullets getting injured?

 

[McChooky]

His feet aren't bad at all. Where on their bodies are the pullets getting injured?

I agree. I don't see why there is any concern about his feet (nails) either. They're much smaller than my roosters nails.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

His feet aren't bad at all. Where on their bodies are the pullets getting injured?

Under their wig is where they are getting cut pretty badly on their side, mainly it’s just one gash. The bad part about it is it’s covered until they lift their wig so it’s hard to notice.