Rooster being rough on hens

[leahmec]

I have a flock of 9 chickens (8 hens and 1 roo) who are almost a year old and have been raised together. Until recently my rooster was pretty gentle and sweet with his girls. The past two months he has began ripping their feathers out around their combs on the back of their heads. I know he's grabbing them there when he's doing his business but one hen looks like an old man with a cul-de-sac and the weather here has been -35c. He's even getting to the point where he's been completely ripping all the neck feathers out of two hens (these two are the only ones he does it to). Is there any way I can prevent him from doing this or am I going to have to find a new rooster? Besides the feather ripping he is still sweet to them and nice to me. Thanks in advance!

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

I have a flock of 9 chickens (8 hens and 1 roo) who are almost a year old and have been raised together. Until recently my rooster was pretty gentle and sweet with his girls. The past two months he has began ripping their feathers out around their combs on the back of their heads. I know he's grabbing them there when he's doing his business but one hen looks like an old man with a cul-de-sac and the weather here has been -35c. He's even getting to the point where he's been completely ripping all the neck feathers out of two hens (these two are the only ones he does it to). Is there any way I can prevent him from doing this or am I going to have to find a new rooster? Besides the feather ripping he is still sweet to them and nice to me. Thanks in advance!

You can try a chicken saddle. Some hurt the hen more than the rooster would, so be sure to check in to see if your hens will be OK wearing them.

 

[leahmec]

You can try a chicken saddle. Some hurt the hen more than the rooster would, so be sure to check in to see if your hens will be OK wearing them.

I do have saddles on two of them, however the majority of the plucking is happening on their heads. I’ll attack a pic of the hen with the worse of it. The pic is from a few weeks ago, it’s worse now, she’s totally bald

 

[aart]

Is there any way I can prevent him from doing this

Remove him from the flock.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

Remove him from the flock.

x2. If hen saddles aren't working, there's really nothing you can do other than to get rid of him.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I try to solve for the peace and health of the entire flock. I don't know why that is happening to those two girls only. At that age yours are not immature adolescents behaving badly.

I once had a flock of 8 pullets and 1 cockerel about 10 months old. Old enough and acting like mature chickens. Two of those girls became barebacked so I ate them and removed their genetics from the gene pool. I decided the fault was with the girls, probably brittle feathers. No other girls became barebacked with just 6 girls and one boy. How could I blame the boy if removing those two girls solved the problem. I did not have barebacked girls from the pullets they hatched.

I agree, something has to happen, that is getting dangerous. He could easily rip open the skin when mating. The head grab is an essential part of mating. You could permanently remove him or them. You might try isolating either him or them for a while, I have seen behaviors change because of isolation.

Besides the feather ripping he is still sweet to them and nice to me.

A good rooster that is good to the girls and not human aggressive is good to have around if you decide you want a rooster. You have no guarantees the next one will be any better and could be worse. But what is happening is not good for the health of your flock, something has to change.

Good luck!

 

[Chickensandhorsesforlife]

i use pick no more lotion. it is purple and it is a rooster booster brand

 

[Anime2lover]

I have a flock of 9 chickens (8 hens and 1 roo) who are almost a year old and have been raised together. Until recently my rooster was pretty gentle and sweet with his girls. The past two months he has began ripping their feathers out around their combs on the back of their heads. I know he's grabbing them there when he's doing his business but one hen looks like an old man with a cul-de-sac and the weather here has been -35c. He's even getting to the point where he's been completely ripping all the neck feathers out of two hens (these two are the only ones he does it to). Is there any way I can prevent him from doing this or am I going to have to find a new rooster? Besides the feather ripping he is still sweet to them and nice to me. Thanks in advance!

You can try pine tar. They hate the taste of it but it isn't harmful and will come off on it's own. You just spread it on the part that's being plucked.

 

[Anime2lover]

i use pick no more lotion. it is purple and it is a rooster booster brand

That works to. We've used it.

 

[xtreme414]

Roosters do have their favorites too. They will pick 1 or two and mate several times per day. Most times the Hen just needs a break. We will remove our roosters for awhile and let them heal up. Spring time is the worst!