sooo...my rooster is plucking feathers due to mating?

[Amerikaner]

soo.. my hens have bald spots on their back i am assuming its from the rooster mounting them ... i am making a separate area for the girls from the rooster , im new to having chikens .
now i hear online there is mounting pads and ive seen them on amazon , but most ppl on youtube talk about them like its the antichrist and all around negative... so what are they good for if any at all and if it helps for how long can my hen wear it?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have photos?

Are you asking about hen saddles?
Not sure who or what you are watching on youtube, everyone has their own thoughts and ideas about hen saddles.
There's pros and cons to anything. I've used them before and they do help protect the hen's skin from abrasions from the rooster's nails. Even with a rooster that has his nails filed smooth and nice and who's gentle with the hens, there's going to be some worn feathers and loss due to mating, just the way it is.

You can pen the rooster separately for periods of time, but the worn feathers won't grow back until the hens molt.

If you use saddles, do check under them frequently to make sure there's no break down of skin/tissue, that it fits well, that there's no loose strings. Basically just check your hens over weekly. Some hens can get out of the saddles and there's potential for them to get hung up on something, so it's best to be able to monitor your hens while they are wearing them.

 

[Animal Export]

I thnk it is the rosters problem i think those pads are good

 

[abenardini]

soo.. my hens have bald spots on their back i am assuming its from the rooster mounting them ... i am making a separate area for the girls from the rooster , im new to having chikens .
now i hear online there is mounting pads and ive seen them on amazon , but most ppl on youtube talk about them like its the antichrist and all around negative... so what are they good for if any at all and if it helps for how long can my hen wear it?

what's your ratio of rooster to hen? If too few hens, the rooster will abuse them by mating too often. Sometimes, even with a good ratio (10 hens to rooster,) a roo will have a favorite hen but it sounded like you were saying plural hens had issues with feathering.

 

[Chicalina]

How many hens, how many roosters and are all the hens bare?

 

[Amerikaner]

what's your ratio of rooster to hen? If too few hens, the rooster will abuse them by mating too often. Sometimes, even with a good ratio (10 hens to rooster,) a roo will have a favorite hen but it sounded like you were saying plural hens had issues with feathering.

I have 3 roo and 9 hens

 

[abenardini]

I have 3 roo and 9 hens

That might be why there are issues with the hens. A single rooster can mate with many hens over the course of the day and doesn't usually result in too much damage unless the roo is larger than the hens or if he picks an absolute favorite. My 2 cents would be to create a separate rooster pen or rehome 2 of the 3 roosters if you aren't super attached. The poor gals can't handle that much mating interaction.