Roosters favorite hen: feathers torn up even with a saddle

[Smileybans]

I put a saddle on this girl, and my other brahmas, because my light Brahma rooster was ripping their feathers. It had gotten better with the saddles but today I noticed torn feathers again. One girl has it the worst. She has had the saddle on for months now. I think it might be too small for her but this is the biggest one I could find. When my rooster, Monster, mounts her the saddle moves. Which, I think, is contributing to the ripped up feathers.

She squats for Monster and he is a gentleman. He isn’t rough with her but his feet slide around on her back. The saddle has a strap that goes over her head, along with the ones around her wings, to keep the wing protector on. Is there a better saddle for her? Should I separate her from Monster? I don’t want to have to do that since he isn’t beating her up on purpose. But I will if I have to.

As far as I know Monster is the only one that mates with these girls. The brahmas really won’t allow my silkie to mate with them. None of my other hens have broken feathers. Just the ones Monster mates with.

Most beat up light Brahma.

Her sister who is beat up but not as bad.

 

[dawg53]

That's a cool looking saddle, I like it. I think the saddle your hen is wearing is big enough. If you were to put on a bigger saddle, I think it would slide to one side or the other when she's mounted by your roo.
The feathers dont look like they were tore up too bad, I've seen much worse damage including bald spots on a roosters favorite hen(s) when the hens were wearing saddles.

My Light Brahma's have held up well with their rooster. He's a good sized Buff Leghorn but not as heavy as a Light Brahma rooster.
You can use Pinless Peepers on your rooster if you wish. They work. I've used them on a big Blue Wyandotte rooster when the chicken saddles wernt enough to protect his hens.
If you buy the Pinless Peepers, buy the pliers along with them, you'll need them.

 

[Smileybans]

That's a cool looking saddle, I like it. I think the saddle your hen is wearing is big enough. If you were to put on a bigger saddle, I think it would slide to one side or the other when she's mounted by your roo.
The feathers dont look like they were tore up too bad, I've seen much worse damage including bald spots on a roosters favorite hen(s) when the hens were wearing saddles.

My Light Brahma's have held up well with their rooster. He's a good sized Buff Leghorn but not as heavy as a Light Brahma rooster.
You can use Pinless Peepers on your rooster if you wish. They work. I've used them on a big Blue Wyandotte rooster when the chicken saddles wernt enough to protect his hens.
If you buy the Pinless Peepers, buy the pliers along with them, you'll need them.

I don’t remember where I got this saddle from, I think it was hen saver, but it was one of the biggest I could find. I had a smaller one on her but he was still tearing at her back with that one. The eyes on the back sold me too. Supposed to make hawks think twice about picking them up.

The feather damage was much worse before I put the saddle on her. I did notice that one side of her back is a little more bald than the other. She does have a small scab on that one side. Do you think it’s just the weight of him still doing damage to her feathers?

I’ll look into the peepers. How do they stop him from tearing up her back? Because he can’t see her to mount her it gives her a break? He’s such a nice rooster and loves his girls, I want him to be able to mate still.