Rooster Issue

[Abbkayx]

Hi all!

So I’m really torn on what do with my rooster, Shaggy. He’s beautiful, and really is a great rooster. He is amazing at protecting my girls, and always makes sure they eat first etc. he’s just a good boy. My problem is — is that he is mounting my girls so much they all have bare backs. I have 7 full size hens, and 2 bantam hens.

I bought a saddle and have used that, but he just flips it up when he mounts them. He’s also super big. He’s probably a good 9-11 pounds. He’s double the size my standard hens. He’s also just recently started to mount my bantams as well.

My poor girls backs look so painful, I’m just torn whether to keep him, or rehome him.

Any opinions or solutions for me? (Also attached a photo of him in all his glory lol)

 

[Abbkayx]

Hi all!

So I’m really torn on what do with my rooster, Shaggy. He’s beautiful, and really is a great rooster. He is amazing at protecting my girls, and always makes sure they eat first etc. he’s just a good boy. My problem is — is that he is mounting my girls so much they all have bare backs. I have 7 full size hens, and 2 bantam hens.

I bought a saddle and have used that, but he just flips it up when he mounts them. He’s also super big. He’s probably a good 9-11 pounds. He’s double the size my standard hens. He’s also just recently started to mount my bantams as well.

My poor girls backs look so painful, I’m just torn whether to keep him, or rehome him.

Any opinions or solutions for me? (Also attached a photo of him in all his glory lol)

** ALSO should note I have 6 more 6 week pullets which will be joining the rest of the flock too. So he won’t be short on choices lol. He’s my only rooster.

 

[DobieLover]

Hi all!

So I’m really torn on what do with my rooster, Shaggy. He’s beautiful, and really is a great rooster. He is amazing at protecting my girls, and always makes sure they eat first etc. he’s just a good boy. My problem is — is that he is mounting my girls so much they all have bare backs. I have 7 full size hens, and 2 bantam hens.

I bought a saddle and have used that, but he just flips it up when he mounts them. He’s also super big. He’s probably a good 9-11 pounds. He’s double the size my standard hens. He’s also just recently started to mount my bantams as well.

My poor girls backs look so painful, I’m just torn whether to keep him, or rehome him.

Any opinions or solutions for me? (Also attached a photo of him in all his glory lol)

Start with filing his nails and spurs to dull them.

 

[Abbkayx]

Start with filing his nails and spurs to dull them.

Oooh, yes that may help. Should I use a regular file? Or buy a dremel file tool? I’ve never filed any of their nails.

 

[Abbkayx]

Start with filing his nails and spurs to dull them.

Would a dog nail grinder work?

 

[chrissynemetz]

Is there any way you could separate him from the girls occasionally, to give them a break every so often? Maybe keep him where he can see them but not get to them?

 

[chrissynemetz]

And I've used both a regular file and a dremel on my roosters nails. The dremel kinda freaked a few out but both worked

 

[Shadrach]

Would a dog nail grinder work?

A nail file is just fine. You only need to file off and sharp edges and round off his toe nails.
Is Shaggy a different breed to your hens?
If he's a young rooster he may learn to mount the hens causing less damage as he matures. Bare backs look terrible but as long as there are no open wounds and the skin is protected from sunburn, if that problem is applicable to you, then apart from getting a rooster better suited to your hens, particularly the bantams there isn't much you can do.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

If adding more pullets doesn’t work, here is your sulution

 

[Abbkayx]

A nail file is just fine. You only need to file off and sharp edges and round off his toe nails.
Is Shaggy a different breed to your hens?
If he's a young rooster he may learn to mount the hens causing less damage as he matures. Bare backs look terrible but as long as there are no open wounds and the skin is protected from sunburn, if that problem is applicable to you, then apart from getting a rooster better suited to your hens, particularly the bantams there isn't much you can do.

I have all different breeds. 2 of the hens are also Brahmas (like him). He usually is very polite. He generally does his mating dance and waits for the girls to submit but recently he’s been chasing them like a mad man to mount them aggressively lol. He’s about a year old now.

The girls don’t have open wounds, but it is unsightly to look at their bare backs. I think I feel worse than they feel.

I will try trimming his nails and see how that goes.

I have technically only seen him mount the bantams twice, generally they do their own thing away from the rest of the flock so I’m not overly concerned about them.

I may be overreacting, I just feel bad. The feather loss got really bad over the winter, when they were confined to their coop / run. Now that they are free ranging I think it’s gotten better?