molting & saddle aprons

[NewFlockOnTheBlock]

One of our hens permanently wears a saddle apron as, being the rooster's favorite, the feathers on her back have really suffered. She is now going through her first molt and growing out new back feathers. I've noticed that they are coming in sort of crooked under the saddle apron.

Should we take the apron off until those new feathers fully develop? I'm not sure what's best: taking the apron off so nothing is pressing against those feathers, or keeping it on so the rooster doesn't damage the new, sensitive feathers when mounting her?

 

[wamtazlady]

My suggestion would be to take off the apron and lock the rooster away from the hens until after their feathers have grown back. After the feathers have grown in you can decide if she still needs the apron.

 

[NewFlockOnTheBlock]

We've considered it but we are reluctant to lock our rooster away from the hens during molting. We have 14 hens and they are all at different stages of molting; some have not yet started their molt while others are well on the way. It's a slow process and our rooster would potentially be separated from the hens for at least a couple of months. I am sure he would be unhappy and would make it known through vocalizations and behavior. And, he does a great job breaking up fights between our original flock and the hens that we recently adopted, ensuring that everyone gets enough food, and watching out for predators. Doesn't seem like a good time to separate him now.

We might just try to take the apron off and monitor closely. We've noticed that our molting hens tend to be a lot more skittish when it comes to mating. In fact, I can't remember the last time I saw our rooster mate successfully (normally I observe this multiple times a day). So, our apron-wearing hen may be all right without it for now.