Rooster mating getting aggressive

[Possum-Pie]

Recently our rooster seems more "aggressive" with his mating. I began noticing neck/shoulder feather damage on several of our hens. We have 6 hens and 1 rooster. They have all been together for over 2 years. He is a great roo-first out of the coop in the AM, calls them when he finds food, etc. but it seems he has increased his mating attempts lately.
I usually keep his spurs trimmed but didn't this summer. We trimmed them yesterday and I put a hen saddle on the smallest-a SLWD who is at the bottom of the pecking order and really scruffy. I don't know if he is mating more, his spurs were just too long, or he has gotten more aggressive but we've never had feather damage. They all seem to run off when he begins his dance, which never used to happen. I could separate him for a while, but it would be a pain. This is new behavior and nothing that I can tell has changed in their environment to cause it. Any insight? (no, I'm not culling him or getting rid of him unless he causes injury to them). Two oldest are 4 years old, 4 youngest are about 2 1/2, Roo is about 2 1/2.

 

[sourland]

Is there any possibility of adding more hens to your flock? It is possible that his behavior will decrease during the decreasing daylight period.

 

[Possum-Pie]

Is there any possibility of adding more hens to your flock? It is possible that his behavior will decrease during the decreasing daylight period.

No more hens, 6 is enough for us. I'm hoping winter cools his hormones. We had another rooster several years ago. Mean as heck to my wife and I but very gentle with the hens. My wife made me get rid of him after he karate-kicked my and made my leg bleed, but I thought he was great with the girls. This roo was younger than the hens when we put them together, and they bullied him a bit until he got bigger, but he didn't hold a grudge and is kind to them (except the recent feather tearing).
I'd be convinced it was his spurs except that the damaged feathers came about relativity quickly, over the course of a few weeks. The shoulder/neck damage is not from molting b/c feathers are stripped, not falling out.

 

[D13]

No more hens, 6 is enough for us. I'm hoping winter cools his hormones. We had another rooster several years ago. Mean as heck to my wife and I but very gentle with the hens. My wife made me get rid of him after he karate-kicked my and made my leg bleed, but I thought he was great with the girls. This roo was younger than the hens when we put them together, and they bullied him a bit until he got bigger, but he didn't hold a grudge and is kind to them (except the recent feather tearing).
I'd be convinced it was his spurs except that the damaged feathers came about relativity quickly, over the course of a few weeks. The shoulder/neck damage is not from molting b/c feathers are stripped, not falling out.

Oh I've been there with aggressive roosters. Not. Fun. At. All.
We used to have similar problems with over-mating, my advice is to just put heavy-duty saddles on the hens that receive feather damage and wait for him to cool off. We did that and it worked for us.
Also if the hens start getting bald spots on them and the other hens start picking on them, I recommend Blue Kote (It's not a typo, that's how it's spelled). It's a sort of spray for chickens that turns their skin blue and discourages pecking. It's worked wonders for us.
Even if they aren't getting pecked, it may be a good idea to blue kote them anyway. Perhaps the blue will discourage the rooster temporarily and give the hens a chance to heal.
Oh, and a side note: When using Blue Kote MAKE SURE YOU ARE WEARING DISPOSABLE GLOVES. BLUE KOTE STAINS WILL NOT COME OUT, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU SCRUB. It stains clothing too, just so you know. For some reason the same can't be said for chickens, it just kinda wears off eventually. Don't ask me why.

 

[Mrs. K]

It is molting time, and that is what I would expect. I am not quite sure what you mean by stripped. My own girls look like they have come through a bush backwards.

The thing with a rooster is, yesterday's behavior - last years behavior, really has no influence on their behavior in the future. If he is working with your flock, keep him, if he is not, let him go. Always solve for peace in the flock.

Mrs K

 

[D13]

It is molting time, and that is what I would expect. I am not quite sure what you mean by stripped. My own girls look like they have come through a bush backwards.

The thing with a rooster is, yesterday's behavior - last years behavior, really has no influence on their behavior in the future. If he is working with your flock, keep him, if he is not, let him go. Always solve for peace in the flock.

Mrs K

Never thought of it that way...good point

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Also don't forget to increase the protein while they are molting. I give my birds 20 to 22% protein in all-flock or feather fixer formula during molt, goodness knows they need all the help they can get!