May I ask how old he is, for a couple of reasons? How old are the hens too? It’s possible he is just an adolescent. Those are often driven by hormones and have no self-control. Adolescents often have really poor technique too. Sometimes pullets have not matured enough to perform their part of the mating ritual right either. While some hens may squat for anything in spurs, many hens, especially mature hens, require certain behaviors from a rooster before they willingly grant him privileges. Those behaviors normally come with maturity. His age may be part of the problem.
Now, can you please do me a favor? Grab that rooster and look at his foot and leg. Look at the number, size, and sharpness of his spurs. Then look at the number, size, and sharpness of his claws. Then think back. When he is mating, is he standing on his spurs or his claws? Especially with an adolescent rooster, are you sure the spurs are causing the problem?
When they mate, the head grab is an essential part of the mating ritual. Not only does it help him keep his balance and get him oriented properly to hit the target, it is absolutely essential as the signal for the hen to raise her tail out of the way to expose the target. Without the head grab, there is no fertility.
Is it all your hens with that bareback problem or just a few? Occasionally the rooster’s technique is so bad it can cause a barebacked problem, but I’ve found with mine it is usually just a few hens with a serious problem. Losing an occasional feather during mating isn’t a big deal. It’s when a hen’s back gets so bare that the rooster can cut the hen that it becomes a problem and you need to do something. Some hens have a genetic problem that causes brittle feathers. Even if the rooster is using good technique, those feathers are so brittle they break off. That can be a serious problem.
Many different people on here will tell you different techniques for removing a roosters spurs. I’ve worked on a couple of my rooster’s feet and legs, trimming both the spurs and the toenails. I wrap the rooster in a towel to keep his wings contained and use a Dremel tool with one of those discs you use to cut metal to take the sharp point off. The spurs and the toenails are a lot like yours. There is a quick in there that if you cut it, it will bleed. The rooster might flinch when you cut it too. It’s a good idea to have some flour handy to staunch the blood if you cut too deep. But if you just cut the sharp point off and don’t get too ambitious, you probably won’t see any blood. All I’m trying to do is blunt the toenails and while I have him and the Dremel tool, I blunt the spurs too. When I finish, I just put him back in the run. He immediately does what most roosters will do when he is put back with the flock after a short absence, he mates with a hen to show he is still the boss.
For the hens with a really bare back, you might want to make a chicken saddle. Some people on this forum will make one for you and sell it to you, but I’ll include a link to a pattern.
Chicken Saddle Patterns
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=407575
If it is due to the immaturity of the chickens involved, it will eventually get better, but you might need to take action now. It can be a serious problem. Good luck!
