roo damage to hen's back

[hereachick]

My maran roo's have been over zealous with my hens and have left their backs missing feathers and red.I have seperated the hens from the roos in hopes of the feathers growing back and to give the hens some much need relief from the roos.I was wondering could I put something like a & d ointment or bacitracin on their backs to help the feathers regrow? Or will this only help them to burn in the sun more easily? How long should it take for their backs to regrow their feathers? Thanks.....And my Poor Ladies Thank You Too!

 

[Judy]

The feathers may not regrow til after the next molt. I have one who has been missing feathers for months. Bacitracin or whatever is fine if there is an open wound. When the feathers do start coming back in, a little extra protein will help the chicken grow them.

You should consider putting a saddle or apron on them to protect the skin. Some people sell them on here. You can also make one very simply. Here are the instructions (scroll down near the end of the site

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=167

I made a couple of these. I didn't even bother with the tail hole, just the two wing holes, as this covered the chicken's bare area. Worked fine and she was not bothered by it at all.

 

[purpletree23]

To prevent damage in the future you could file down the roos toenails.

 

[kycklingar!]

Until the feathers grow back (minimum of 6 months), you should keep the hen(s) separate from the roo. As they grow in, they are even more vulnerable. Also, her back will get sunburned if the skin is showing. But don't use ointments - they don't help, and can actually hurt.
A ratio of more than one roo to 6 hens usually results in feather damage. How many do you have?
If she's really damaged and you want to hasten the feathers replacing themselves, you have to hold her, and pluck the broken shafts from her back with tweezers. Then the follicles know they need to replace the feather. Otherwise, you do have to wait for a moult.
Supplement her with black oil sunflower seed, or treats dipped in olive oil. Good luck.

 

[Judy]

Oh, might want to trim the roo's spurs, too. Twist off with pliers, then use a bleeding stopper like flour or corn starch, or better yet, a commercial product from the feed store.

 

[hereachick]

Thank you everyone