Have you ever had a chicken NOT molt?
Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 7:40 pm
I'm not sure if I'm worrying about nothing so here's the story:
17 month old barred rock (Phoebe), still laying daily...My only adult not experiencing molt this fall/winter.
Her "sister" (same age) has finished her molt and has baby feathers covering her body but I have had to seperate her because the one in question started plucking out her pin feathers...Which resulted in two others joining in!
This solves my previous post regarding another who had pin feathers missing on her back...I think it was Phoebe that did it.
Phoebe has always been a bit neurotic...She's bossy but not lead hen. I thought she was molting as her bum and belly are naked but she continues to lay and her skin looks red and dry. But she has no feathers growing in and no evidence of pin feathers being plucked out.
Now she has started laying eggs on the floor the past couple days which none of mine have ever done. She is the only one laying currently so there's no nesting box squabbles going on.
They've been on a combination duck grower/pullet grower since around September...She eats lots of oyster shell. They also get scratch and boss twice a day. I've managed to get Phoebe to eat cat food thinking she may still be lacking protein but it doesn't seem to help.
I'm leaning towards a possible skin irritation making her a little nuts and pulling her own feathers out. Or I've read about feather mites (not the run of the mill ones...They live in the feather shaft) driving chickens a bit nuts. Anybody dealt with them? She was wormed this fall and chickens and coop are mite free best I can tell. Her body condition is good but on the light side (always has been a smallish girl) I never see her scratching or picking. I'm at a loss but her behavior is disruptive to the relative calm I see when I remove her and if I can't figure it out I think she's gotta go. None of the others are exhibiting any of her issues. Coop is 8x10 with attached 8x14 covered pen on dirt/sand and loads of scratching material for 9 LF and 3 banties. Phoebe also gets outside when she chooses and I have time to guard her (coyotes are BAD)
Any ideas?
17 month old barred rock (Phoebe), still laying daily...My only adult not experiencing molt this fall/winter.
Her "sister" (same age) has finished her molt and has baby feathers covering her body but I have had to seperate her because the one in question started plucking out her pin feathers...Which resulted in two others joining in!
This solves my previous post regarding another who had pin feathers missing on her back...I think it was Phoebe that did it.
Phoebe has always been a bit neurotic...She's bossy but not lead hen. I thought she was molting as her bum and belly are naked but she continues to lay and her skin looks red and dry. But she has no feathers growing in and no evidence of pin feathers being plucked out.
Now she has started laying eggs on the floor the past couple days which none of mine have ever done. She is the only one laying currently so there's no nesting box squabbles going on.
They've been on a combination duck grower/pullet grower since around September...She eats lots of oyster shell. They also get scratch and boss twice a day. I've managed to get Phoebe to eat cat food thinking she may still be lacking protein but it doesn't seem to help.
I'm leaning towards a possible skin irritation making her a little nuts and pulling her own feathers out. Or I've read about feather mites (not the run of the mill ones...They live in the feather shaft) driving chickens a bit nuts. Anybody dealt with them? She was wormed this fall and chickens and coop are mite free best I can tell. Her body condition is good but on the light side (always has been a smallish girl) I never see her scratching or picking. I'm at a loss but her behavior is disruptive to the relative calm I see when I remove her and if I can't figure it out I think she's gotta go. None of the others are exhibiting any of her issues. Coop is 8x10 with attached 8x14 covered pen on dirt/sand and loads of scratching material for 9 LF and 3 banties. Phoebe also gets outside when she chooses and I have time to guard her (coyotes are BAD)
Any ideas?