Rooster is a ROUGH lover !

[math ace]

I have a 5 month old FBCM roo. He is gonna be a BIG boy. He is already way bigger than my hens.
He has 8 mature hens and 2 pullets that are about 5 months old in the pen with him. ALL my hens are missing feathers.

I know I could get them all saddles - - - but that just seems wrong when it is ALL of them.

What seems to be the problem and solution - - -

1.) He is too big and the problem will only get worse as he gets bigger ? ? ?

2.) He is too ROUGH and needs to learn to be gentler ? ? ? Is there a way to teach him ? ?

My previous roo never tore my girls up !

3.) He is too ACTIVE and needs more girls to divide his attention amonst ? ? ? ?

4.) He is YOUNG and not very good with his technique and he will get better on his own as he ages ? ? ?

I know this seems like a "Funny"

post - - -
but he is going to go in the time out pen if he doesn't figure this out soon !

 

[CMV]

A rough rooster is a tough call. He is young and he will get better as he matures, but he is also a strapping lad and will only continue to get larger. Your ratio seems correct, so it's not like your hens are being over-bred. I would give him a few more months and see if he improves in his amorous adventures. If he doesn't then replace him with a more gentlemanly rooster. In the meantime- saddles for all the girls or a trial separation for the boy.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Are they molting? Could it be mites or lice? Is the rooster missing feathers too? Is it feather-pecking instead of mating? Are some much worse than others? It seems a little strange that it is all of them, but it is certainly possible.

If it is the rooster's behavior.

1.) He is too big and the problem will only get worse as he gets bigger ? ? ?

Possibly. I think the difference in size between the rooster and the hen is a big factor in barebacked hens. My smaller hens are affected much more than my larger ones.

2.) He is too ROUGH and needs to learn to be gentler ? ? ?

This is typical behavior of adolescents. Many roosters do mellow out as they get older, if they live long enough. Some don't, but many do.

Is there a way to teach him ? ?

Age is the only solution I know of.

3.) He is too ACTIVE and needs more girls to divide his attention amonst ? ? ? ?

It's as good an excuse as any to get more hens but in honesty, it probably won't make a lot of difference. Some people have had problems with barebacked hens with one rooster and 18 hens. what I would expect to happen, depending on how much room you have, would be that the new group would hang together and separate from the rooster and his harem. The rooster would probably mate some with the new group, but he would still give most of his attention to the girls that hang around close to him.

4.) He is YOUNG and not very good with his technique and he will get better on his own as he ages ? ? ?

Again, a possibility. This thread might make interesting reading for you.

Breeders managing roosters
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=250327

If you have the facilities, keeping him locked away from the girls for a while might be a good move, either for an extended period of time or maybe every other day if you want fertile eggs, though keeping him separated part of the time may possibly reduce the fertility rate of your eggs. The 10 to 1 ratio is all about fertility, not about barebacked hens, and assumes he has access to all of them all the time. An active rooster can keep twice as many hens fertile, but the 10 to 1 ratio assumes a below-average rooster and still gives pretty good assurances that all eggs are fertile.

Good luck!

 

[Tiss]

My SLW roo is huge and I never see missing feathers from my girls. I'd be inclined not to put up with a rough roo.

 

[pgpoultry]

My Brahma hens were bald on their backs and wing insertions due to shear size and weight of the Brahma boys, not because they were particularly rough.

Poultry saddles have been an absolute boon, and my hens don't even seem to notice that they are there.

may be a solution if you want your roo for fertile eggs,

sandie

 

[flgardengirl]

I would be hesitant to get rid of a good fbcm rooster. They are hard to come by. You could take him out of the pen until he matures a little. Saddles would be okay here in the winter but in the summer the poor birds are already sooo hot that I don't saddle anyone here in the summer. If he is a good looking roo and what you need genetic-wise I'd probably just pen him up separately for a while if it is a big problem. A few missing feathers is gonna happen. I'd be more worried if he was actually drawing blood etc. I have noticed a lot of the younger roos are overly enthusiastic and calm down once they get older. I have a separate bachelor pen for my extra roos that I want to keep around for whatever reason/s lol.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
He is a PRETTY roo and listens to me well. I don't want to get rid of him.

There is not a problem with lice or mites . . . . All my hens are missing feathers at the base of their back - - - the pullets are not missing any. He does not mess with the young girls - - thank God !

The heat has been so bad and he has been so active - - - that I started letting them go out into a LARGE pen for "Free Ranging".
The 8 hens and 6 more pullets are in a pen that is 80 feet by 40 feet - - - Plenty of room ! !
The girls are not showing any relief from his attention.

I did "time out" him a couple of weeks ago for a few days - - - but he started acting strange - - - almost afraid of me. He normally has a GREAT personality and is one of the first birds to listen to me when I call for them to "come here". So, I let him back in with the girls. Now, he is back to being the "good Boy" who comes running when I call his name!

I'll try "time out" again. How long do you think he will need to be separated ? ?I do think our heat is too hard on my girls right now to do saddles. I could start saddles in another 4 - 8 weeks depending on the temps. At 97 - 102 F , I am afraid to put any extra insulation on them. I have had to dunk a few of them in a bucket of water a few days this week. They were just laying on the ground panting - - in the shade.

 

[mstricer]

I had the same problem with my FBCM he was a very large bird, and extremely rough and chased everyone except his GF. So I put the two together and let them mate, she went broody and I culled the boy, by the time he was six months he was having problems with his legs. The girl hatched 3 of 5, she laid and I now have my start of a FBCM flock. Sometimes you just have to do it. The good thing is that Marans taste very good so enjoy.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Ouch !

OK- - let's think about this - -
The marans I want to hook this roo up with is busy with a chick and has not started back to laying yet.
So, no culling allowed yet !

Problems with legs - - -
What kinds of problems. My boy is 5 months old and I want to know what to look for.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

Just my 2 cents --- the personality of a 5 month old roo may/may not be indicative of his personality as a mature 12 month old roo. He is still young ... Also, I've had roos develop 'favorite' hens and really wear them out. A couple of years ago I had 2 white cochin hens in with my 50 (yep, FIFTY) blackstar hens ... the ONE roo ALWAYS picked on them and kept them barebacked ... finally had to remove them.