What to do about Barney

[Sahraschweiss]

I have a BO rooster from hatchery stock. He will be a year old in May.

For the most part, he's a good boy. Finds treats for the girls, breaks up fights, gets everyone back into the covered run when hawks are out, builds nests for the ladies.

He doesn't mind me in the coop or the run. He does get concerned when I upset the girls, but he hasn't ever tried to attack me, my husband, or our dogs.

My only problem is he has 18 hens and 9 of them have balding backs. He's rough on his girls. All the birds are almost a year old. Also I have six 6 week old chicks which 3 are cockerels.

He's a pet. Knows his name. Knows move, knows out, knows get the girls. I don't want to cull him.

If I make a boy flock, how does that work? Do the have to be out of sight of the girls?

Looking for suggestions.

 

[LaFleche]

He might be in need of a rooster pedicure: File his claws a nice round shape and his spurs as well.

 

[LaFleche]

If I make a boy flock, how does that work? Do the have to be out of sight of the girls?

Yes, definitely out of sight and out of earshot would be even better, as they might get excited when they hear the hens call after the egg laying.

 

[M-H-Fielding]

Does it look like your hens might be molting? That might be the cause of bare backs.

 

[Sahraschweiss]

Yes, definitely out of sight and out of earshot would be even better, as they might get excited when they hear the hens call after the egg laying.

Property is too small for out of hearing. We only have 3 acres.

 

[Sahraschweiss]

Does it look like your hens might be molting? That might be the cause of bare backs.

No quills forming. Does look like molting. I do expect most of my girls to have a hard molt this fall.

 

[Sahraschweiss]

He might be in need of a rooster pedicure: File his claws a nice round shape and his spurs as well.

I will take that under consideration. We really don't handle him. It should be interesting.

 

[LaFleche]

I will take that under consideration. We really don't handle him. It should be interesting.

Just pick him from the roost in the evening and sit down, laying him sideways on your upper legs/lap. Hold both his legs with your left hand while keeping the left elbow on the roosters wing. File away with your right hand, but be careful not to make him bleed.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My only problem is he has 18 hens and 9 of them have balding backs.

Thank you for this. It shows that getting more girls isn't the answer. It's a pet peeve of mine where people are saying if you have a ratio of 10 girls per boy this kind of stuff doesn't happen. With yours 1 to 18 it still happens. I'm not happy it is happening to you, I've been there and this can be a pain to solve.

If I make a boy flock, how does that work? Do the have to be out of sight of the girls?

I sometimes house cockerels in my grow-out coop/run area when they get too rowdy with the flock. This area is where I keep my juveniles when integrating, right next to the main flock to do the look but don't touch. Some people say they have problems when the boys can see the girls but that hasn't been my experience.

Looking for suggestions.

At his age he should be acting more like a rooster than an immature cockerel. He may still have poor technique which can lead to loss of feathers enough to cause a bare spot. If you can buy a little time he may outgrow this. Blunting the sharp points on his claws isn't a bad idea. I wrap the boy in a large towel and use a Dremel tool to cut off the points. If you cut into the quick it can bleed so don't go very deep. You are not trying to cut them off, just dull them. Even if it does bleed a bit it doesn't really injure him and it won't bleed for long. You can use a handful of flour to throw on to stop the bleeding.

I've had pullets/hens that had brittle feathers. Their bodies don't process certain nutrients right so the feathers are easily broken. Nine out of 18 seems like a lot for this though. I doubt this is your problem. That's just too many.

It's always a good idea to check for mites or lice when you have a feather loss.

If the entire feather is gone, the feathers should grow back fairly soon. If any bit of the shaft is still there the feather will not grow back until they molt. It might be a good idea to isolate that boy for a while. Give the girls a chance to grow back some feathers and give him a chance to mature some more if the problem is his immaturity.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

@Ridgerunner I always appreciate your answers, you're so thorough and I always learn something from you. Even if you're answering a question I didn't ask, I try to file away the info against the time I may need it. Thank you for being generous with your experience and expertise!