Should I remove my rooster?

[Debs55]

I'm not sure if this is in the right section so I apoligize if it isn't. Anyway. I've been noticing lately that my hens are missing spots of feathers. I know it's not molting because it is in large spots. I figure it can be mice, mites, or my rooster. I know some of it is him. I'm going to spray them with blu kote tonight and whenever it dries up around here me and my dad are gonna add wood ash to their dust bath spots and dust them with it for mites. Then we will have to figure out how to check for mice. So should I take my rooster out till they all heal up? This may sound stupid but I don't want him to be sad lol he's never been in a cage by himself. I have a dog pen he can go in on another part of the property or I have a smaller (maybe 4 x 6) pen. Inside my chicken run. Which would be better?

 

[SA Farm]

If the roo doesn't have any similar spots, it's probably him. Take your precautions with the mites anyway though. My chickens eat mice, so I've never had that problem and not sure what it would look like. Some roosters are more aggressive with their ladies and grab their feathers when they want them to hold still and some are pulled out. If he's very amorous, then he'd pull out quite a few, particularly between the wings below the neck area. Is the roo new to the hens? Are they crouching for him?

 

[coleg]

Put another rooster with him and move him to a diferent pen.

 

[Den in Penn]

If it is the rooster doing it then the small pen near the the flock would be better. Giving the hens a chance to recover while the rooster doesn't lose contact with them. How many hens do you have? Chicken mating can be very wearing on the feathers.

 

[Debs55]

Hey y'all. The rooster does not have similar spots and he is not new to the hens. He has been in them for probably 6 months. And he has 17 hens to himself. I moved him into the small pen last night and sprayed all the hens with blu kote. Literally everyone was missing feathers. I'm gonna add wood ash when it dries up here

 

[Den in Penn]

Set a few mouse traps out where the chickens can't get to them. You never know if the mice are active at night when the chickens are deep asleep. With that many hens you could still have hens with bare backs from the rooster, but only a couple.

 

[Debs55]

I really can't think of where I could put mouse traps. Oh and it's not just bare backs it's bare backs, butts, chests, everything. I know some of it is from him but I'm really wondering if they have mites

 

[Den in Penn]

Make a box with a mouse hole, put trap in box. Of course you'll have to secure it so the chickens don't move it around.

 

[SA Farm]

I really can't think of where I could put mouse traps. Oh and it's not just bare backs it's bare backs, butts, chests, everything. I know some of it is from him but I'm really wondering if they have mites

They aren't molting are they?

 

[Debs55]

No I'm pretty sure they aren't. These spots are red and irritated looking and they aren't losing feathers all over. Just in certain spots