Chicken saddles: Protection from featherwear, feather loss and and pecking damage

Loss of damage to feathers on a chickens back can happen for a number of reasons. The most common is from over amorous cockerels who repeatedly treads (mounts) the hens. We use chicken saddles to combat the resulting potential featherwear. A saddle can also help chickens that have pecking damage from the flock on their backs, providing some protection.
The video explains what featherwear looks like, what saddle looks like and how to fit it.
Saddles can be found in Chickenkeeping Tools in our Amazon Storefront:
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We breed Buff Orpington chickens and have kept them for a number of years. We also keep 3 other breeds as egg layers.
We grow our own food on our smallholding and endeavour to be self-sufficient. Subscribe to see more of our life including self sufficiency videos, recipes, garden tips and chicken keeping.
Opening Music credits: Artist = Earth Tree Healing
Composer = Claudine West
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[@prospero4183]

I've now watched enough of your videos now that when I hear the intro music, i think of chickens.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

But we do such more 👍 We publish everything about our smallholding life including vegetable and fruit production, renovations, starting a smallholding, making thing, preserving foods and recipes. If you haven't watched the other subjects give them a try 👍

[@geoffanddebshipton6797]

Hazel is absolutely adorable and so placid - beautiful girl! ❤️

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hey! Lovely to see you! Ssshhh, don't tell anyone, but she's quite greedy so will happily sit through lots of filming for a handful of wholewheat. :-) In all honesty, yes she is very placid but we have deliberately bred that into the Orpingtons. We like calm, good natured chickens and it has paid off.

[@geoffanddebshipton6797]

@@EnglishCountryLife sounds like she’s smart too! 😉 They look like a lovely breed and breeding for temperament is a real bonus. Always enjoy our windows into your life on the smallholding. Entertaining and educational! ❤️

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks guys, its always a treat to hear from you!

[@verdigreen10]

Hazel: "It's nice to be popular, but hell to be the rage."

[@EnglishCountryLife]

It is a problem to be the cockerels favourite.

[@janwilletts1986]

Lovely Hazel!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

She is 🙂👍

[@PreparedCamping]

Great video Fiona 👍

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thank you so much 🙂

[@ellasvendsen6711]

Those are very cute, my rooster ended up never developing spurs and I haven't noticed any feather loss but if I get a rooster with them I will absolutely purchase saddles. Bless you and your empathetic approach to your birds!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

It does vary by species and by individual, if yours have no feather wear, that's great!

[@sayyidadilhassanshahbaghda5573]

Thank you for the help

[@EnglishCountryLife]

So glad it was useful

[@luisfabian244]

QUE HERMOSO ES PODER APRENDER DE OTROS PAISES CON OTRAS MODALIDADES EN LA CRIANZA DE LOS ANIMALES SIEMPRE TODO LO QUE SEA PARA EL BINESTAR BIENVENIDO SEA DES BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA SALUDOS A TODOS LOS CRIADORES

[@EnglishCountryLife]

So glad that you enjoyed it Luis

[@ashm5206]

Interesting as always. Hazel is a great model and she seemed happy with her payment of treats.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hazel thinks of her tummy first above all else. She was happy to put up with all of the filming for a treats at the end of the day :-)

[@ashm5206]

@@EnglishCountryLife I think Hazel has the right outlook on life!!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Rather like me Andy - she will sit for scran - Hugh

[@bloodyrose1985]

Dusty, our RI Red rooster, lost his favorite mate, Artemis (another RI Red) last month. She died unexpectedly. He hasn’t shown interest in any of the other hens since her death.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

That's quite unusual. Are the other hens currently in moult?

[@bloodyrose1985]

@@EnglishCountryLife I don’t think so. None of their feathers have moulted. They’re about 6-7 months old and they started laying eggs.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@bloodyrose1985 If they are lovely n lay, he should start treading them soon.

[@gilliansaddington7624]

Great Thanks for the info.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@gilliansaddington7624 Glad it explained them 🙂

[@scohid04]

I can't keep a rooster, so thankfully no saddles needed. 10/10 Hazel is adorable!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

I think Hazel is amazing too.

[@Staceylacey10]

Loved this!! Thank you so much!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

So glad you liked it 🙂

[@paulalarueduke3671]

Thank you

[@EnglishCountryLife]

You're welcome

[@aamirqayoom2294]

Thank you so much. This video is so helpful.❤

[@EnglishCountryLife]

We're really glad that it was useful 🙂

[@janedoe8901]

Adorable

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thank you

[@jennytaylor3409]

Thank you!!!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

You're welcome!

[@janellelynch998]

I subscribed to your channel and I am binge watching your amazing videos and I just can’t get over how healthy and beautiful your big thick chickens are 🥰 Thank you so very much for sharing with us. I could literally sit and watch your videos all day and never get bored 😁

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thank you so much! That's so kind of you

[@tiffanirees2553]

Thank you for this video. I've just purchased one of these lovely saddles for a beautiful cochin girl that is becoming too popular with her boy, then found your video which has given me more confidence in fitting it correctly and comfortably. Very helpful!!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

So glad it was useful!

[@troyself871]

A good saddle will also cover the wings if not the same will happen to the wing area

[@EnglishCountryLife]

That does depend very much on the hen and cockerel. Our cockerels generally don't tread that high. We have tried the saddles with wing covers when we needed them occasionally. Some worked but others fitted poorly

[@petercresswell5402]

Hello I've asked this already then realised the video was a year old so probably asking a lot to get a reply Enjoy the beginners series and slowly watching them all, so will eventually arrive at this video My question was quite simple, just wondered what other varieties you stock besides the Buffs and whether you've done a video on that topic. Maybe you have and I've not reached it yet as I'm only on E6 Thanks

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Peter! The Buff Orpingtons are our main breeding flock but we do keep other birds just for eggs. Crested Cream Legbars (blue eggs), Copper Black Marans (chocolate brown eggs) and just lately Old English Pheasant Fowl (very rare, small, cream eggs)

[@CynCopeland-TheAnswerIsMeat]

2 saddles are on their way - Jackie Chan is far randier than we'd hoped - time for some additional hens! Also Kath is rather aggressive with Kim so hoping this saddle helps on that front as well.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Definitely worth using saddles then. During chicken lockdown here 8 hens weren't enough for one randy cockerel & feather wear happened despite saddles

[@tammyohlsson7966]

You are amazing! Thank you!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Thanks 😊

[@VioletHenning]

If i knew you were making this video i would have sent you clips of my Lizzy. She has zero feathers on her back and still not growing out. We made a saddle "dress" for her but the rooster gets it off.....

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Violet! If it's slipping off with the roosters weight you should be able to shorten the tape over the wings. if it sits over their shoulders it shouldn't be able to be removed without undoing the fastening. If it's a popper that's popping, try a button and buttonhole. That's far more difficult for a rooster to remove but still easy for you to fasten/unfasten. Does that help?

[@VioletHenning]

Yes thank you so much i am going to give it a try.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@VioletHenning Poor wee thing. It's not the best time to have a bald back in the South African summer

[@JosExotics]

I cant wait for my Orpingtons to start breeding

[@EnglishCountryLife]

It's very rewarding.

[@lindseybailey2944]

Hello Fiona from Oregon, USA! I would love it if you did a video about those little leg bands you use on the chicks in spring. What’s your system; are you marking possible breeder poults for keeping? Those that could be cockerels? Or pre-marked for sale? I love your videos. Thank you for sharing. 💕

[@EnglishCountryLife]

I haven't yet, but we've started a playlist of Chicken FAQs and legbands are on my filming list. I will make it soon 👍 Thanks for the idea

[@minelabmad]

Hi great video ,myself and friend have just taken on a large allotment and have ten hens and a rooster (buff Orpingtons) please could you cover a video on the run etc as ours is knee deep in mud and we don’t have a lot of cash to spend cheers Andy.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Andy! I have two that may be useful: This looks at options to deal with muddy runs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJK4hISjqKqNmNk This one looks at different options for housing if you want to increase their space including a very cheap solution involving a washing line and net: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaW0maaVbN-WfLM

[@minelabmad]

@@EnglishCountryLife thank you I’ve been and collected lots of pallets I love the idea of putting Astro turf on them our netted run looks about the same size as the one you filmed in, I love the tail feathers on the roster we having also having issue with our eggs not been fertile and my incubator is not very good have you done any vlogs on the above , thanks for link I have watched and subscribed cheers Andy x.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Andy, I am editing a video covering how to fertility test a cockerel for publication next week 🙂 Hugh

[@tracyhicks]

These are lovely saddles; but your Orpingtons are just stunning! I looked for the saddles in the storefront; but couldn't find them. Are they out of stock?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi! You can buy them from the seller direct at this site chickenbreeder.co.uk/

[@tracyhicks]

@@EnglishCountryLife Thank you so much!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Anytime :-)

[@barbsdee3831]

Well done Hazel what a star you are ⭐️ Fiona I’m looking for a coop to house 2-3 chickens and some I’ve seen are quite expensive (£400-£500) is that the usual rate? Are you able to list a few websites/suppliers for me to look at please? TIA x

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Barb, Prices have gone up tremendously but it doesn't mean quality has and there are still some good prices out there. I would say ignore how many chickens sellers say will fit in a coop but instead look at the dimensions to make sure you are happy. This coop we bought quite a while ago and have been happy with the quality although we didn't pay the price they're now asking. BTW, it definitely wouldn't house 10 hens unless they're bantams. We use it as a brood coop. amzn.to/39w2f9b In contrast there's this coop which looks OK (and if not you can return it) and is approximately half the price. It is a different format but the coop itself is a similar size. amzn.to/3tatiik I would say to get the best range look at Ebay and Amazon as two of the biggest marketplaces as you can easily read both seller and product reviews. If something isn't up to par people will not hold back in their review. I hope that helps.

[@barbsdee3831]

@@EnglishCountryLife thank you yet again for your wonderful comprehensive advice. I’ve been dithering between plastic and timber but I suppose as long as you thoroughly clean the coops then hopefully there won’t be a problem (and I’ve watched your video of cleaning coops and poops!) x

[@buddhistsympathizer1136]

Lovely video. She appeared to be very placid while you were placing the saddle on. Are they always like that? Do they ever try to pull the saddles off?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

We always select calm youngsters to add to the breeding group so we do have very placid Orpingtons. It's just nicer for us and nicer for our buyers. We've not experienced an Orpington try to pull the saddle off. We have had the odd instance where the cockerel treading the hen causes the popper closure to pop so the saddle falls off! Does that help?

[@buddhistsympathizer1136]

@@EnglishCountryLife Thank you

[@jennytaylor3409]

With my Black Austrolorps, they are sweeties, but I still always have a helper. It makes it so much easier for me.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@jennytaylor3409 I think that's good advice Jenny. Fiona is great at handling birds and they know & trust her from hatch. For a lot of people - including me - a spare pair of hands is very reassuring. Hugh

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

I've actually seen hens with holes in their sides from the roosters spurs. I'd plead with the people keeping a rooster with the hens, especially in a run, to cut the ends off the spurs. It doesn't hurt any more than trimming your nails, unless you get over zealous and cut to the quick. When do you think the risk of avian flu will be over? I know I wouldn't like keeping my girls shut up in their run even for a few days.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

I know what you mean with spurs but I always recommend that anyone doing it has some experience with someone who is used to the procedure first. It's so easy to cut the quick because it extends further than a lot of 1st timers expect. You know what you're doing but it can be hard for the inexperienced. With Avian Influenza we just have to wait and see. We need the Risk Assessments that Defra publish to reduce the risk significantly before it's lifted and with new cases being confirmed this may not be quick. In 2017 it wasn't lifted until the end of May but I'm hopeful it won't be that long this time. At this stage we just don't know.

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

@@EnglishCountryLife That's true, I would hope a beginner would ask a experienced chicken keeper for help. I guess I take to much for granted because I've had chickens the majority of my life. Maybe you should remove my post. I hope the risk to you guys in the UK is over sooner than May. I'm sorry I'm afraid I haven't kept up with UK news since I lived there. Is England and Wales still in the UK or did Brexit go through?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@marysurbanchickengarden I wouldn't want to take your post down because you make a very good point about spur damage to the hens. It's this type of experience from your years of chickenkeeping which adds to the knowledge exchange in the channel so thank you.

[@user-mo4qh9vy5o]

Hi Fiona, what size does Hazel wear?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Goodness this is quite an old video so I can't remember now. We keep a variety of sizes to ensure that we have a good fit for each bird

[@axelcarrasco90]

Is hazel one of the 2020 chicks?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Yes she is. She's just under 9 months old.

[@sarahbrooks1601]

Hi, I have 5 rescue hens, and most of them have bald paets on their backs. But I don’t have a rooster. Do I need to get saddles for them?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@sarahbrooks1601 Hi Sarah, unless you see signs of sunburn, at which point a temporary cover is useful, then no. The feathers should return in a few months when your hens moult

[@sarahbrooks1601]

@EnglishCountryLife Aww thanks so much, Fiona. I appreciate your quick reply!! X

[@elm16prthefifth2]

1:56 HEY!!! LOOK AT ME! I need some attention too... Nah, nevermind

[@EnglishCountryLife]

That's cheeky little Rowan. :-)

[@elm16prthefifth2]

@@EnglishCountryLife She's beautiful

[@EnglishCountryLife]

She's a character

[@josiahgeorge5478]

Can a 5 or 6 month old hen lay fertile eggs during the spring, obviously with a cockerel around?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Josiah, if they are in lay, and there is a cockerel with them then yes, they certainly can. Next week's video will cover fertility testing in detail. Hugh

[@josiahgeorge5478]

@@EnglishCountryLife wow. I thought they had to be like 10 months or older, thank you for the help and the new info that I learned!!!

[@josiahgeorge5478]

@@EnglishCountryLife One of my hens stopped laying due to the cold and she started laying again!!!!!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@josiahgeorge5478 Hurrah!

[@josiahgeorge5478]

@@EnglishCountryLife She is in my opinion the prettiest chicken we have, she is a welsummer and her eggs are so unique

[@anayoung7738]

cute

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Necessary with an amorous cockerel!

[@drbethekoch6295]

What size saddle did you fit on Hazel?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi Hazel is a large Orpington and is wearing the large saddle. We do have Frankie (also an Orpington) who is wearing a medium so all I ca recommend is to measure the depth from shoulder to oil gland for each chicken, take 4 or 5mm off and buy the saddle thaat fits that measurement. Does that help?

[@drbethekoch6295]

@@EnglishCountryLife Yes, thank you! I love your channel! Frankie is a doll!

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@drbethekoch6295 She is a sweetie. She's in heavy moult at the moment so is keeping out of the limelight 😉

[@elm16prthefifth2]

Hi what can I do if a hen has a swollen throat? She had a piece of wire stuck in her beak and bleed some blood, but the next day she appeared with her throat swollen. She still has chicks. This is her: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nV63qGSLnp2hp5I Is there a home remedy or medicine for this? Thanks

[@donnakuhl2419]

thank you

[@EnglishCountryLife]

You're welcome