Saddle interfere with feather growth?

[FlyingNunFarm]

Looking for some opinions. Last hear I had to outfit several of my girls with saddles. I was hoping with a good molt they would get back feathers they had lost. I suddenly lost my boys (a completely different story) and took the saddles off.
I now again have too many boys. (Swedish Flower rooster anyone?) Inexperienced and over amourus to boot. My girls are still molting and I'm finding small injuries. Today two girls were up to roost way before bed. I think they are hiding from the boys.
I put a saddle back on one of the girls but I'm wondering if it's going to stop her feather growth.
Anyone have problems with feathers while wearing a saddle? I realize no feathers with a saddle is better then injuries but I hate to doom my girls to such horrible fashion.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Why haven't you removed those trouble making roosters? You can pen them separately for a while if you intend to keep them. Saddles should come off at this time of year to allow them to molt as easily as possible.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

I unfortunately don't have a separate place. I was hoping to find them homes. I'm not for culling based solely on gender. I know they are not meaning to harm the girls. Like I said young and inexperienced.
I considered letting the boys free range in the day but they would still have to go in the coop at night. I figured it would be worse on the girls if the boys are only given a short time to try their luck at mating.
It's not ideal but I'm trying to do my best with what options I have.

 

[Chickassan]

Well if you let your boys range during the day and just let everyone coop up at night together it shouldn't be too bad since they don't do much of anything at night. You'd have a shuffle those boys out at first light though with all those morning hormones going on the ladies would get harassed for sure.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

I put the word out for a rabbit hutch or other small house for 2 boys. I have a small fenced in area that would keep them safe at night but it has no houseing... I think it was used for rabbits at one point. I'll have to see. Poor girls, and overly hormonal boys.

 

[micstrachan]

I think the saddle is painful during a molt. My Brown Leghorn, Margo, has had a bald spot on her lower back for months because a flock mate pecks the feathers out. She had the saddle on for quite awhile, so I took it off one day for a break and let them out to free range. The jerk pecked all her new feathers in one little free range excursion! I went to put the saddle back on a couple days later and she screamed and fell to the ground. Literally. She stumbled and squawked. So I left the saddle off and put her in a isolation within the pen for a break from the jerk, Bagheera, aka Bitchgheera. Margo immediately went into a HARD molt. I am pretty sure she screamed because she was already molting and the saddle hurt her sensitive pin feathers. Margo is still looking pretty scraggly, but her feathers seem to be coming in nicely.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

She has quite a few of her feathers back. Some that were broken from before didn't fall out for the molt. The boys don't even have spurs yet so it's their nails causing problems. Not like I could remove those....
Chickens!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Just the act of constant mating will break off the feathers. Get those young randy roosters separated out and give her a break from it. It is a stressful life running from teenage boys.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

I need to figure something out and quick. I can't even give the boys away!

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Apparently someone doesn't want to wear her saddle. I'm not ever sure how she managed to completely turn it around. It's a cross strap! I had a hard Ike getting it off.

Found a boy a new home too. He'll be leaving soon. Phew