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)

 

[Shadrach]

View attachment 1784360 If adding more pullets doesn’t work, here is your sulution

I wonder if it has ever occurred to you that people may be extremely fond of their roosters and your crock pot posts are a trifle insensitive.

 

[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.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

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

 

[Shadrach]

I technically have 13 more babies — BUT 7 of them were hatched by broodys so not sure whether they are pullets or not yet. The others I bought, so I know they are pullets. Plus 3 unknown bantams on top of those, that someone dropped off in a local park that I rescued.

I’m hoping having quite a few more girls will help.

I shouldn't count on getting more hens as a solution. Roosters tend to have their favorites and that is who they will mate with most.
To give the hens with the worst feather loss a break you could confine them to a run for a week or two and still have your rooster out protecting the flock as they free range.

 

[aart]

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?

Not sure how it could have, damaged feathers don't 'get better'......until they fall out and new ones grow at molt. What they are fed at molting time can have a lot to do with how 'healthy' the new feathers are. Increased feather loss during winter confinement may have to do with crowding and/or diet.

Some birds are 'over-mated', some cock/erels just have bad technique, some females just have weak/brittle feathers that are easily broken....bare backs can be one of those to all of them.

Agrees more females is not a solution...decide if your cock/erel is 'adding' to your flock or not. IMO, if you don't want chicks, no reason to have a male.

 

[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.

 

[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?

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

When I had hens, I had a hen that I thought was going to be perma-bald (back, neck, wings) from being overmated. Even after a molt she didn't refeather so I started adding Feather Fixer to their feed and it did the trick.

https://www.nutrenaworld.com/product/naturewise-feather-fixer-poultry-feed

 

[Peanutsmomma]

You mentioned early on in the thread that he flips up the back of the hen saddle? I have found when I make a hen saddle I attach a piece of elastic to either side of the wings of the saddle. The piece of elastic lays against the belly of the chicken and holds the saddle wings down so that the rooster doesn't get underneath the hen saddle and cause it to roll up.