Rough Rooster - ????? Please look at PICs!!!

[myrtletheturtle]

Sms,

I am curious about your question as well! I have had only 1 rooster and 1 hen since last july (got them as chicks and didn't know the sex) and he is so rough with her that the same thing happened. She looks exactly like your hens with no feathers in a square and lots of broken feathers

We recently got another hen to try and give the one a break but not sure if that will work. I am debating on whether or not to keep my rooster as well seeing as how he has chased 2 cats out of my backyard and away from the girls in the last week.....
I know this post is not much help but just thought I would let you know that you are not alone in this predicament and I will let you know if I find anything useful out!!

 

[silkiechicken]

Generally you want at least 8 hens per rooster if not more. That said, as per the OP's issue, that rooster can pick favorites.

The additional light may have indeed caused the problem actually, since if they are inside, fully awake, but used to being free roaming, it may be a bit stressful on them to be in close quarters and so they take it out on each other before headed out for the day and act normally.

Heavier roosters tend to do more damage too since they weigh more. Younger roosters with more of a drive can also do more damage than an older calmer one.

If picking is in the equation, it may help to sneak up on them in the morning hours and evening hours when it is light inside and dark outside, to see if anyone is being bullied or picked. If there is picking, removing the pickers would be a good idea. Or perhaps keeping the rooster in his own roost for the night and just let him watch the girls in the day.

You can try something like this for the bare back hens:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=112898

 

[a2ms4chickens]

I have the same problem. I have about 5 girls who have bald spots and I am pretty sure it is from my standard RIR roo. I separated 2 girls to see if their feathers start to grow back.

Once they grow their feathers back, I will separate the other girls.

I never had this problem with my bantam RIR roo.

They are both such good roosters that I don't want to get rid of them. I guess I'll just have to keep adding hens.

 

[scooter147]

IMHO that is a classic example of over mounting by a rooster.
They generally have their "favorites". I have had the same problem with a flock of 30 and one rooster. I use to have 3 or 4 hens that were constantly bald on the back. I simply pen Slyvester up 6 days of the week. I have done so now since the molt last fall.
It has worked like a charm. He gets Sunday with his girls and the rest of the week in a 2 x 4 pen. It's sort of like the reverse of the "keep holy the sabbath.

 

[sms1225]

I purposely ordered a rooster with my hens, as chicks, so that he would protect them as they free range during the day. If I locked him up for the entire week, and let him out one day, I'm not sure it would be worth having a rooster at all. I would then have my hens free ranging with no protection. I have 2- 12 week old Great Pyrenees puppies that will be eventually watching the hens, so maybe then I can do something else with the rooster. He does such a great job of taking care of the whole lot of hens. It is such a dilema. I've also noticed that some of my RIRs feathers are becoming broken. I guess because the SLW rooster is so much bigger than the hens, he is breaking feathers, and picking his favorites.

Thanks everyone for all your help.

Susan

 

[jeeperspeepers]

I also have a huge problem with bare backs. This has been for the last several months. I see pin feathers but they never seem to grow back. I have 27 hens to one roo. I dont know if it is rough or not. I have nothing to compare it to. There are about 10 like this. They are such pretty hens, I hate that they look so horrible. My favorite even has a little blood. Also my roo has a bare red bottom. What is that all about? He is such a great roo. I really love him. What to do????????

 

[Cetawin]

I have the same thing going on with Deville's favorite girls. I am about to saddle them. Poor things.

 

[Reinbeau]

I have 14 hens, one roo, and all but two look like that, from broken to bare. So he isn't picking favorites, they're all his favorites, except for the two who scream at him and won't let him have his way with them!

 

[Omran]

YOU REALLY NEED TO GET RED OF HIM, I WILL NOT KEEP HIM AROUND NOT EVEN IF HE LAY AN EGG FOR ME, I WILL EAT HIM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

OMRAN

 

[ebonykawai]

I re-homed my rooster for this same problem. I have 10 hens, but he favored 2 or 3 and they were really bare and looked terrible. I bought saddles for them, but saddles don't totally fix the problem. The feathers don't grow back very well, they get crushed and grow very slowly, in my experience. And they can be pulled and shifted, so they are not 100% protection. I gave up and re-homed. My hens are all happy and fluffy now.