Rooster separate or together with hens?

[Colleen Kinzie]

Just wondering what everyone else does
My chickens are mostly mutts. I am not breeding for resale only for my own pleasure of a backyard flock
A few of my hens are looking pretty rough
Four or five out of 25 hens
Their backs are bald
Not sure if they all are naturally starting a molt or not
A couple I think may be as they are also missing feathers in the front of the neck
But others I'm sure are from roosting breeding them
If you do keep your roosters separate. - for how long?
I like hearing a rooster crow and also for hen protection
Also need one around for spring and summer chicks!
Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated
Other than kill the rooster. Lol

[Ontario Chick]

Had the same problem here, although the rooster is pretty gentlemanly and with 20 hens, he obviously had a couple of favorites, so something had to be done. Removing the hens would have created a problem later on, trying to incorporate them back in to the flock, so it had to be the rooster that had to go.
The girls are filling in nicely now, so another few weeks and he can go back.
Last year I missed the natural molt, and couple of girls stayed naked most of the summer, not doing that again. :)

[Killerbunny]

That's why I use a saddle if necessary. I found one of the bare girls got sunburn!

[Colleen Kinzie]

Ontario chick that is what I have done
He's not happy
My husband thinks hens are calmer and thinks I'll get more eggs per day?
Killer bunny funny you say that. Flat rock farms. Paula was nice enough to lend me hers and I made one Using hers as a pattern
None of the hens need saddles with rooster in lock down though

[Killerbunny]

Honestly a lot depends on the character of the boy. My ladies adore Lucky but a previous boy stressed them out because he was mean and the eggs stopped! The girls harass Lucky mercilessly for his attention.