rooster thinks saddles are the enemy

[Pinky]

Put a saddle on the rooster too.

 

[ravenseye57]

Well puting Rick in the pen where he could see his girls but not get to them worked like a charm, by the time I took pity on him a couple of days later he totally ignored the two ladies with saddles.

I thought the problem was solved, but when I put two more saddles on raggedy hens he started right up again. He's still ignoring the old ones, but attacking the new ones.

So back in the pen he went tonight, and he's none too pleased with me. Too bad because we had a good relationship up till now. I hope he doesn't hold a grudge.

It's supposed to be warm (lows only in the 20's) all weekend, so hopefully He'll get used to them before it gets cold agan. He got bad frostbite on his comb and wattles from that one cold night, despite the coating of vaseline and his pet carrier shelter. His poor comb and wattles have a lot of dry dead skin from the frostbite. I put on more vaseline, any other suggestions for first aid?

 

[ravenseye57]

@Pinky, I did try putting a saddle on him one day, but he got it off in about 10 seconds. I may try it again though when I get more of them.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

This is all I use for a Chicken Saddle. Never had a problem with the roos "attacking" it. Plus once the feathers grow back, you don't have to run down the chicken to remove it!

http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/1/1-6/Joyce_Dixon.html

 

[Pinky]

Quote:
Are the saddles you are using have two straps to tie or just one? I thought that maybe if he wore it and seen it wasn't evil that he would leave the saddle alone on the hens.

 

[TreeHugger]

I purchased some saddles for some of my hens who thought Jan was a good time to molt. I was afraid they would freeze to death since the temps are getting a - in front. I put them on at night & no one seemed to notice they had happy chicken pics on their backs the next day! I don't keep roos in with my hens but I think the saddles are cute

 

[shelleyd2008]

Maybe you should just put saddles on all the hens at once? Maybe he'd get confused and not know which one to pick on

 

[ravenseye57]

@Shelly, I would put them on all of the hens at once, but I have 20 hens and only four saddles so far. A friend who has a sewing machine is going to make more.

I thought about putting them on at night too Treehugger, but my coop is a low tractor style so it's hit or miss who's close enough to reach in and grab at night. I'm trying to get the worst hens covered. It's pretty easy to get them on when they're on the nest too if you can spot them there.

They have a strap on each side that goes under the wing. I've tried shortening them, but Rick grabs them at the back edge and the hen just runs out from under it and the straps slide off their shoulders. I don't want them to be too tight, they stay on fine when no one pulls on them.

So we're having a warm weekend and Rick's in the pen again. I'm going to hunt down my old dog nail clippers and do his (very long) nails and try to clean and debrede his frostbitten spots and put comfrey and aloe salve on them before I put him back with the girls. He's mighty annoyed to be penned up and the girls keep trying to get in to be with him.

I think part of the trouble is that the hens take a day or two to get used to the saddles and stop acting as though something's bothering them. He's just being a good protective roo and trying to "help" the girls by getting rid of the "creature" that's after them.

 

[Pichuli]

Some of my girls are barebacked due to too much rooster attention. I removed my large Light Brahma roo from the flock leaving my New Hampshire Red roo and 20 ladies. I had a friend make me a couple of chicken saddles to protect the hens that lost all of the feathers on their backs, but when I put them on Rick the rooster goes nuts. He chases the hen around, grabbing at the saddle and trying to pull it off. He got one off and then "killed" it and I removed the other myself because I was afraid he'd injure the hen. Has anyone heard of such a thing? Any suggestions on how to get him to stop attacking the saddles?

Did you ever get any knowledge on this - i have a chicken indoors for that very reason... i put the saddle on her and he attacked her trying to get it off. Am I going to have to keep her seperate from him until her feathers grow back? He slashed up her back twice due to the lack of feathers...