I was wondering how many of you guys have problems with overbreeding. I also wondered if certain breeds are known for not over doing it. (no pun intended)
It all depends on the rooster, the number of hens each rooster has, and how big the rooster is. If you don't have enough hens for the roo, such as less than 10, or your rooster is 12 lbs, or if you have a high drive roo, you'll probably have a over breeding problem.
I have one HUGE Austrolorp rooster and 15 hens and it seems that he is only chasing one of them. She has a bare back.
Ah, a roo with a few favorites can also lead to overbreeding. It is when a hen gets so much attention from the roo that they get their head and back feathers all pulled out.
my roo only has 3 gals and I have never seen them missing any feathers. he does like the girls a lot also. maybe its because he is a silkie?
Well, if he's a silkie, he's probably only like 2-3 lbs and that won't damage feathers as badly as a roo that is 4-5x his weight since all feathers are made of the same material. And all roo's are different.
