rooster losing tail feathers

[chicksurreal]

Lol! Me too! I've got a fall flock that is a year old and just going into their second fall. I was really getting worried because I also read that chickens don't molt until they're 18 months or so.

My beautiful Silver Spangled Hamburg roo is down to one tail feather, Lol!

His tail feathers have been steadily dropping off over the last couple of weeks and I have checked for mites and lice, so I knew it wasn't that. So glad to know it a molt, Some of the girls are also losing some feathers.

 

[gritsar]

I just got on here to see why a rooster would loose it's tail feathers. didn't know they molt too. lost some of his leg feathers too. it is fall or almost so I guess that is what it is doing. should I still check for mites and such? he is big and bad but I can get close enough to pick him up without him getting me. He hates me. lol lol but he is a good watch Roo and a good daddy roo. would hate to loose him. even if he goes out of his way to flog me.

A rooster that flogs doesn't last long on this farm. They can do some serious damage, even to adults, but especially to children.
Too many good roos in need of homes to put up with a flogging one. Plus, aggressive behavior is not something you want them passing on to their offspring. Just MHO of course.