Roo is a little clumsy, balding hens. Help?

I think if you try a product on the area of her head feathers, he's just going to grab another area to hold on. I just have a tiny little d'uccle rooster, who also is very mannerly with my girls, big and small. If they don't squat for him, he leaves them be. And my big BA girl is the only one that developed a small bald spot. He has the opposite problem of your guy - he's so small that's really the only way he can stay on, by holding on with his beak. It bothered me at first ('cause I like my girls to look pretty
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), but then I figured that's just the way things are. A mannerly rooster is worth making concessions for.
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eta: I like the bonnet idea though...lol. Maybe some tiny chicken reins or something would work???
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The rooster grabbing the back of her head is important in their mating. It is her signal to raise her tail out of the way so the vents can meet. If he does not grab the back of her head, she does not raise her tail. The normal sequence is that the rooster dances, the hen squats, he hops on and grabs the back of her head, she raises her tail, vents touch, he hops off, and she stands up, fluffs up, and shakes to get the sperm in the right area.

At 7 months, he probably does not have much of a set of spurs, but you might want to trim his toenails. I think they do more damage to the hen's feathers with claws than spurs anyway. I just use a Dremel tool with one of those disks you use to cut metal, and take the sharp point of the toe nails off. All I try to do is blunt them, not make them disappear. I treat the spurs the same way. Just try to blunt them, mot make them disappear.

Over time, the pullets and the rooster will probably get the technique down. They are all still adolescents, pullets as well as the rooster. I think the pullets have as much responsibility as the rooster to get it right.
 
As usual, Ridgerunner said it well. This I think is a good example of why they're often called teenagers here. They'll improve the technique as they mature.
 
i only have bantam rooster now.. so he's small he can't do any damage,, other than some feathers off the backs of his favorite gal... when i had a larger roo it could get pretty bad.. i'm glad i don't have to worry about that now. maybe as he matures it will get better, good luck!!
 
Thank you for all the input! I am relieved to know that they will get 'better' at this in time.
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For now I will let them be and pass through the awkward teenage 'years'!
 

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