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A Farm of My Own:  What's wrong with my chickens????  |
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Ria
Farmgirl at Heart
1 Posts
Maria
Sedro Woolley
Washington
USA
1 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 01 2011 : 08:04:05 AM
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Hi all....I'm new here, just joined yesterday. This is my very post, but trust me; there will be more!
We have 6 Sex Link layers and 2 Rhode Island Red hens...the Sex Links are about a year old and in the past few months, every one of them has now has a huge patch of missing feathers on their backs. I see them picking at their backs all the time; their feathers are everywhere!! The 2 Reds are older (mostly pets now) and absolutely fine and my previous flock of all Rhode Island Reds never had this. They all sleep in the same coop; their free-range/pastured, supplemented with the same feed/scratch.
Hubby says the missing feathers are from Rocky, the Barred Rock Rooster, doing his thing with his girls...his claws/feet on their backs when he mounts them. When we first got into having chickens 2 years ago; our flock was all Rhode Island Reds and same rooster--Rocky and none of them ever lost their feathers like these girls have. We are kind of newbies at this and wondered is anyone out there might have a clue as to what, if anything, could be going on????? Or is this normal with this particular breed of chicks?
Thanks....Ria
"If you want to make your dreams come true,the first thing you have to do is wake up." ~~J.M. Powers |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2011 : 08:46:10 AM
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this can be caused by the rooster during breeding, and, or moulting, if the hens are getting wounds, yes, they will pick at it, and so will the other chickens...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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karla
True Blue Farmgirl
1308 Posts
karla
Pella
Iowa
USA
1308 Posts |
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Tall Holly
True Blue Farmgirl
2305 Posts
Holly
Worcester
Vermont
USA
2305 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2011 : 2:41:57 PM
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I would think it is from the rooster. some chickens loose their feathers and some don't. I guess some are more sensitive than others.
If our chickens get cuts we put blue coat on them. It is an antibiotic liquid which sort of seals the wound. Anyway the others do not peck at the wound if we put it on the sore.
I am trying to get rid of our rooster, last year he escaped and hid on butchering day but this year he may not be so lucky. As roosters go he is nice he does not peck at people or chase the small children. We had one the met the butcher last year because he flew at our son's(2yo) back one to many times.
Holly
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farmmilkmama
True Blue Farmgirl
2027 Posts
Amy
Central MN
USA
2027 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2011 : 6:08:19 PM
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I would echo the gals, either the rooster or molting. Ours look the same here. :)
--* FarmMilkMama *--
Be yourself.
Everyone else is already taken.
-Oscar Wilde
www.farmfoodmama.blogspot.com |
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Heartbroken farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
604 Posts
Annette
rio vista
Ca
USA
604 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2011 : 7:09:02 PM
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The sex links my sons best friend raises molt, and our Rhode Islands do not. Are they still laying? Manuel's links do not lay nearly as regularly while molting.
And welcome!!! Glad you've joined us!
The tears I shed then, watered the flowers I harvest now.
www.broken908.blogspot.com
http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/broken908
"The aim of education is the knowledge not of facts but of values."-Dean William Ralph Inge |
Edited by - Heartbroken farmgirl on Jul 01 2011 7:09:44 PM |
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A Farm of My Own: What's wrong with my chickens???? |
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What's wrong with my chickens????
