HELP!!! 2 of my chickens in the last couple of days have started to loss feathers. Initially, I thought one had strayed a little close to the dog (4 kg Jack Russell x chiuhuaha :lol: ). But now both look like they have some sort of mange. They are Rhode Island reds and my other 4 chickens don't seem to be affected. I have had a look at them and they don't seem to have any creepie crawlies on them. They don't seem to have lost weight or off their feed. Should I quarantine them?
Had another look still no creepie crawlies....and none of the others chooks seems to affected. No rooster, living in suburban Sydney. For some reason people don't like roosters in the city :razz:
My chooks have recently finished their moult. What kind of dumb birds would moult in the middle of winter??? Sue
help - chicken feather loss My chooks are moulting too. They usually do just after they finish laying, just at the end of summer. There are lots of feathers in the chook pen. I don't worry about it so much now that I'm used to chooks. What does concern me is when their faces go pale. I now spray their pen and perches with tea tree oil and also 1/2 and 1/2 kerosene if the problem persists. Actually, here's my confession. As a permaculturalist this is my one misgiving. I have for the last three years, despite my best efforts had to resort to using the sulphur powder as the other remedies were not saving my girls from becoming more unwell and I couldn't see them perish!! They have nettles, wormwood, I feed them greens every day, they have woodash and dust to bathe in and apple cider vinegar in their water. Still they get these pale, then puffy faces, one even went blind in one eye and I was told it was most likely anaemia from the lice. I got rid of the straw and use only wood shavings in the pen. Any ideas would be really appreciated, Marie
chooks loosing feathers,and so they should, its damn hot! hi Sly712, my chooks also get a bit thin in the feather department in the hot months I Live in the Mildura area. Hey SueinWAjust so you know our chooks are'nt too dumb, in Australia, it gets up to 40 :lol: degrees celcius in our summer and in most places it hardly ever gets below minus 3 celcius except in the alpine regions, which makes up only a tiny part of Australia. Just thought I'd mention that in passing. Clonte Aussie chook lover
Yes, MY chookies are the dumb little things. If they hear a hawk, they ignore it. They attack robins. Normally, they run to me when they see me ("Whatcha got to eat?") When they went into their moult, they would see me and squawk, "RUN! IT'S THE KILLER!" The poor little girls looked like they needed some nice woolly sweaters. Sue
chicken feather loss sorry SueinWA. maybe its me thats dumb! We are crazy busy with our dried fruit harvest so i must be more tired than I thought. Clonte
Same here...unfortunately, I sometimes get the image of a Velcioraptor (sp? You know out of Jurassic Park) when they charge me. It's kinda spooky :lol: BTW, I think they are just moulting.
feather problem one of my chickens has lost some of her feathers and now they are growing back abnormally. and on her belly they havent grown back. does anyone have any idea what is happening to her feathers?
Hi Angelic Not sure whats wrong with you choks..Sometimes they may moult for several reasons,Not ever chook moults same time.Free ranging chooks differ from battery hens,age etc.How old are the chooks?chooks usually moult every mid to late summer.They dont all"fall out together".Sometimes it happens without noticing..chooks grow for 6 months then lay for about a year ,moult and lay again another 12 months.. So..it boils down really as to their age...time of year of hatch....current time of year.... if still strangethen could be parasites.3 choices.vets,home treatment,or put up with it.... Funnily enough I just recently purchased 2 light sussex,Both look pretty terible even after 6 weeks of heven at my house..I bought 6 from 4 owners and only 3 look any good after 6 wks..Its late for moulting here 2 but one is bald spot top of her thighs,unsure of there agesI gotta put up with them untill they choose to re feather again..There ok but im a bit used to great looking birds and pride myself in this,even though i dont take any credit for it I just think it must be the permie lifstyle i adhere too.. 8) 8) 8) Hey you others in here who posted ..Did your problems sort themselves out ok..Let Us Know Tezza
Hi, Alanna Moore's highly recommended bible on chook care (Backyard Poultry Naturally) suggests tonics for excessive moulting of: Seaweed, nettle, cleavers, onion, garlic, dill, anise or fennel, just offer for the chooks to take what they need. A cup of rosemary or southernwood brew, plus a little vinegar, added to water on a weekly basis as an excellent plumage tonic. Sunflower seeds, cabbages, turnips also help. Avoid excessive corn. Linseed moulting tonic: cook 1 cupful of linseed gently in 1 litre of simmering water for 20 minutes (initially soak the linseed for 4 hours prior). It will become a jelly. Add it to wet mash - about a dessertspoonful each bird. Good luck - you may have to look at chook jumper knitting patterns as plan B! Sonya. :wink:
If you are concerned about the moult, sour some milk by letting it sit out in the shed in a bucket or bowl until it settles into solids and whey. A litre or two is good - it should really stink. Drain off the whey and mix with pollard into porridge and feed milk solids and porridge to the chooks. They love it and would walk over fire to get to it and I use this to bring them out of moult quicker (and into lay quicker). This should pick up the chooks and if it doesn't, you will know there is a deeper cause for the moult.