Need experienced opinions please

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WLLady
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Need experienced opinions please

Post by WLLady » Thu Nov 17, 2016 11:24 am

It looks to me like they were pulling her pin feathers. Try to keep her separated until the new feathers come in, or at least get her covered up with a saddle and then make sure they aren't picking on her. sometimes the lowest of the pecking order can get so severely picked on that it's better for them to have their own flock of 2-them and their best friend (usually the second lowest on the pecking order). if you feed a higher protein food or supplement with protein snacks (BOSS, dry cat food, hard boiled mashed egg, or something like that) it will help the feathers grow in faster....hopefully she will still feather up and won't wait until the next moult....
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Happy
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Re: Need experienced opinions please

Post by Happy » Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:10 pm

Ran across this thread purely by accident while looking for something else. This picked on girl molted first this year and is all finished up. So that confirms my thought that moulting was earlier this fall. I do still have one girl that hasn’t even started yet.
Interestingly this girl had no issues this year. Both of the mean girls are still here. I do put Miss Kitty (the picked on one) in her own pen during the day if they aren’t out free ranging. She has her own food/water and dust bath. I call it her apartment and she loves it. She can see all the others and she still roosts with them at night. She’s old and set in her ways so I figure whatever works.
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Jaye
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Re: Need experienced opinions please

Post by Jaye » Fri Nov 10, 2017 8:13 pm

My best layers always moult late in the season and finish reasonably fast. That's my experience, FWIW.
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