Rooster(s) Hard on a hen(s)

[getaclue]

IF you do not have a bachelor pad set up, it's time you do so. A couple large dog crates work fine for larger roosters. I set my crates up in the coop, as needed, so they are still with their hens, but can't get to them. 1. During molt, it's best to separate the roosters from the hens. 2. Cockerels don't have enough experience, therefore are clumsy, which can result in them being a bit rough until they learn. 3. Often, they will have a favorite, or least favorite that they will prefer to breed with, causing a bit more feather damage. When any of the hens begin showing wear, or the beginning of molt, it's a good time to separate the roosters out for awhile. During that time, I tend to offer the hens a little canned cat food, since animal protein helps with feathering.

Hen saddles do a good job too. They're easy to make yourself. Measure your chicken, wingspan, etc., then cut out a saddle from a piece of cloth. Make sure the cloth is not too heavy, so the chicken does not overheat.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

What did you come up with to separate him? Looking for ideas because I'll be separating mine soon.

I sectioned off a 4' X 6' section of the existing run. I had originally planned to build it adjacent to the run, however the weather was not cooperating so I built inside. I modified the cheap coop I ordered from Amazon so my rooster would fit inside and be able to turn around. I added a door so I could walk in and care for him. His "bedroom" is raised so he can use the space underneath. This is the best place I've found to pit his food dish. He also has a roost, which he loves to jump on and crow his lungs out. In order to compensate for the loss of space in the large run I added a 4' X 8' extension. Now Randy was quite angry being separated from his ladies, but he has never directed any bad behavior towards me. Here's what I did. Please excuse my carpentry skills. I did this all myself and am an old woman.

 

[getaclue]

Wee Sarah, that looks very good. Your carpentry skills are good enough to do what you needed. Old women ROCK!

 

[Mimi13]

Old women ROCK!

Yes we do!

 

[Tacswa3]

Wee Farmer - Hey, whatever works thanks for the pics. I can easily erect some fencing and such, its shelter I'll have to figure out. I don't have spare coops laying around.

Getaclue- A dog crate for separation? That seems to small for any length of time except for a sick or injured bird.

 

[Mimi13]

I am also in the same boat with @aart and @getaclue thinking that experience and technique have a lot to do with it. I have two cockerels in with my girls. I have had to put saddles on four of hens. I don’t want to say the boys are necessarily “mean” to them, but I believe they’re trying to compete. What I DON’T like is to see the cockerel chasing the hen/pullet all over the yard. I can’t stand it.

Some of my girls accept the boys, some run and some put up a fight. I don’t like to see the discord among the birds, but I guess that’s what having a cockerel causes. I hope it gets better with time/maturity.

I do have a question about the “broken” feathers. How best would it be for me to pluck the broken shafts to allow the new feathers to regrow? One or two occasionally, as to not hurt my hen?

 

[getaclue]

I have several that are 48 x 30 x 33. I use them primarily as infirmaries, and transitioning chicks to go into the coop, but they will work fine for rooster quarantine too. ONE bird per crate. I also took welded wire, and some J clips, and made a mini-run for them. I put it in the shade, and give my birds a little run time too.

 

[getaclue]

Mimi, I don't pluck feathers. When any of them start getting a little bare, I separate. New feathers grow in. No plucking needed. I don't usually have to separate more than twice a year, and one of those times is for molt. BUT it wasn't always that way.

When I first started with chickens, I was doing pretty good with them, so the following spring, I decided to add to my flock. I bought 2 red sex-link pullets, one older than the other. The older one had just started laying. She had been way overbred, and had a serious case of bare back when I got her. Both of the pullets needed worming. YES, I quarantine. I dusted, wormed them, and got them in good shape during the 30 days. I introduced them into the flock, and things were fine. In short order, the one pullet was bare backed again. None of the others were having the problem, but I confined the rooster. She feathered in some, and once again the rooster was back with his flock. Again, she was bare back within a short time. I watched, and she was NOT being bred any more than the others, but she had very poor feather quality.

In the fall, when all the hens went into molt, this one hen went totally bald overnight. She looked like I had tossed her in a chicken plucker. From that time on, she was called Baldie. I put Baldie in a dog crate on the back porch. She couldn't be out in the sun, and with the other chickens in her condition. When I went to get feed, I bought a bag of Manna Pro Gamebird/Showbird feed. Someone suggested canned cat food, or canned Mackerel too, since they do need some animal protein. I was amazed at the results. Within a short time, she looked like a pin cushion. She couldn't be out in the sun yet, but had the run of the entire screened in porch during the day, then was secured into the crate at night. I used a wide putty knife, and would scrape up everything each evening. There was a drain, so every few days, I would spread some soap around, wet it with the hose, use the broom to scrub it, then rinse it all down. It took time, but when her feathers finally all grew back in, they were beautiful, and had a great sheen. Protein that high will affect their laying, so be sure to begin mixing the high protein feed in with regular feed, decreasing the protein, until they're back on regular feed.

The time had come to put Baldie back in with her flock. I was expecting her to be bare back in a short time, but to my surprise, her feathers were strong. Not only that, but the following year when she went into molt, she had a normal molt. She did not lose all her feathers at once. She was 5 years old when she died, had good feather quality the rest of her years, and was never bald again.

 

[Tacswa3]

Well I got the bachelor pad set up. 10x10 and I'll split it in half for the other rooster. Right now my black Australorp has it to himself, within view of the ladies. No hard walled coop but a roosting bar. At least its spring time.

 

[Mimi13]

Mimi, I don't pluck feathers. When any of them start getting a little bare, I separate. New feathers grow in. No plucking needed. I don't usually have to separate more than twice a year, and one of those times is for molt. BUT it wasn't always that way.

When I first started with chickens, I was doing pretty good with them, so the following spring, I decided to add to my flock. I bought 2 red sex-link pullets, one older than the other. The older one had just started laying. She had been way overbred, and had a serious case of bare back when I got her. Both of the pullets needed worming. YES, I quarantine. I dusted, wormed them, and got them in good shape during the 30 days. I introduced them into the flock, and things were fine. In short order, the one pullet was bare backed again. None of the others were having the problem, but I confined the rooster. She feathered in some, and once again the rooster was back with his flock. Again, she was bare back within a short time. I watched, and she was NOT being bred any more than the others, but she had very poor feather quality.

In the fall, when all the hens went into molt, this one hen went totally bald overnight. She looked like I had tossed her in a chicken plucker. From that time on, she was called Baldie. I put Baldie in a dog crate on the back porch. She couldn't be out in the sun, and with the other chickens in her condition. When I went to get feed, I bought a bag of Manna Pro Gamebird/Showbird feed. Someone suggested canned cat food, or canned Mackerel too, since they do need some animal protein. I was amazed at the results. Within a short time, she looked like a pin cushion. She couldn't be out in the sun yet, but had the run of the entire screened in porch during the day, then was secured into the crate at night. I used a wide putty knife, and would scrape up everything each evening. There was a drain, so every few days, I would spread some soap around, wet it with the hose, use the broom to scrub it, then rinse it all down. It took time, but when her feathers finally all grew back in, they were beautiful, and had a great sheen. Protein that high will affect their laying, so be sure to begin mixing the high protein feed in with regular feed, decreasing the protein, until they're back on regular feed.

The time had come to put Baldie back in with her flock. I was expecting her to be bare back in a short time, but to my surprise, her feathers were strong. Not only that, but the following year when she went into molt, she had a normal molt. She did not lose all her feathers at once. She was 5 years old when she died, had good feather quality the rest of her years, and was never bald again.

Bless that baby girl’s heart. I hate to see birds in a hard molt. I can only imagine what she must have looked and felt like.

I believe I read something about feathers only regrowing if there is no feather shaft present. That is why I asked.