Rooster is scratching my hens during breeding

[GumBranchChick]

Okay I just found some decent scratches on one of my girls. A little in both, but one worries me. I had no idea this was happening. My rooster is very sweet, but I know I don't have enough hens for him & he is likely overbreeding them. I got 4 chicks last thanksgiving because one was getting pecked so badly I thought she wouldn't make it. I ended up with 1 rooster & 3 hens. Sadly, I had one with a ruptured egg last month & even after an X-ray, a flush, & an overnight vet visit, she only made it a few more days after I brought her home. Heartbreaking to not be able to help her. She seemed to be doing so much better during the daytime, but at night still looked very uncomfortable. I think the next egg is what did her in. I'm still so upset about it that it made me think twice about getting more hens. But after these scratches, I think my options are to get rid of the rooster (which I would hate to do), file his nails, or get more hens. Any other suggestions? I've asked my vet about treatment ideas, but for now keeping it clean with Vetericyn. Any other good options? They free range most of the day inside a fenced in yard so it would be hard to separate them.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Yes, those are your three options. In the meantime you can get an apron for her.

 

[GumBranchChick]

I thought I had seen something like that on here somewhere. Is it safe for them to wear all the time? They free range, including a small section of woods, so I don't want it to get caught or something crazy. I'm such a worrier!

 

[GumBranchChick]

Any recommendations on a dremel attachment to grind them down. If I can't do it at home, my vet offered to do it. Probably my best option.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have to agree and if you have a dog wire dog crate let him reside there for a time

 

[GumBranchChick]

I have a second smaller coop. It'll be torturous for him, but not painful like it will be for her if I don't intervene. :/ Thank you!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I have never used an apron but I believe people leave them on all the time since the roosters aren't on a schedule, so to speak, lol.

As far as the dremel attachment, when I did my dogs I just used the round sandpaper one so I assume that's what you would use for the rooster too. It would definitely be a two person job!

 

[GumBranchChick]

I've got an excellent vet who is very good to me, so I'm taking him in first thing tomorrow morning to get his nails filed back a bit. Then I can watch how they do it, & take him in regularly if I can't find a second person willing to help. They are cooped separately for the night (& the weekend if the vet recommends it). Hopefully they'll be able to be together without issue after tomorrow morning. I have no doubt that it's unintentional on his part. I mean, I can't even get him to eat mealworms because he wants to take them back to his girls.
But if this doesn't completely solve it, I will be sewing aprons for them. I may as well. The whole reason I bought the machine & learned how to sew in the first place was to make pants for my dog that had such bad allergies/itching that he would chew himself apart.