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Marigold123
Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 224
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Posted: Mon Mar 07, 05 1:33 pm Post subject: Chooks rubbing feathers off on tree roots? |
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(8th March 2005) EDIT: I've renamed this thread, (original title, 'Have I got a broody?') now that I have a possible idea as to why my chooks' feathers might be coming out underneath.
Thanks to all the people who've responded, your replies have been very helpful, but I wanted to ask as many people as possible whether they've ever heard of anything similar? So far I've not been able to find any sign of infestation, and that's the only other reason I or anyone else has been able to suggest.
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I noticed a few feathers blowing round the garden these last few days and wondered whether my hens were going into a partial neck moult for some reason, (they are only a year old, and didn't have a full moult in the Autumn). But the feathers didn't look as though they'd come from the neck or breast as they were too big and soft looking.
The mystery was solved when I saw one of the hens from the back while she was bending forward to peck her lunchtime corn; she is completely bald in a roughly circular patch underneath her tummy.
Plucking out feathers underneath is broody behaviour, isn't it? She's not staying on the nest, and she's still laying, I think, but there was a bit of a shouting match going on at egg laying this morning. I guess she was being told in no uncertain terms to get the hell off the nest so one of the others could lay. There were two eggs in the nest box when I looked.
She's going to have a hard time of it if she's determined to be broody, because there's only one box! I will keep a careful eye on her and make sure she doesn't start trying to hide her eggs elsewhere.
Is she likely to continue her broody behaviour if I collect all the eggs as they are laid and she doesn't get exclusive use of a nest box? I've read lots of advice in older books on breaking broodies, but frankly I didn't like the sound of it.
Last edited by Marigold123 on Tue Mar 08, 05 4:43 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Treacodactyl Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 25795 Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism
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judith
Joined: 16 Dec 2004 Posts: 22789 Location: Montgomeryshire
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Marigold123
Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 224
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Posted: Mon Mar 07, 05 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks, I've turned her upside down on my lap and had a look, (whilst being pecked severely in the leg by the flock leader, who doesn't like me interfering with 'her' hens!)
I can't see anything louse or mite-like, or any indication that her skin has been bitten by anything or irritated in any way. I'm familiar with head-lice, having 3 kids ; I assume lice on chickens are similar. There are no signs of mite droppings on the eggs or in the nestbox or on the nestbox roof, either. The skin does look a little dry and rough where the end of the breastbone has been rubbing against the perch, so I'll try putting vasilene or something on it, to protect her skin until her feathers grow back.
She's not showing any other sign of broodiness - she's trotting around as normal - and I'm certain she's not being bullied, so unless she was only very slightly broody and the other hens put her off, I'm rather at a loss as to why she might be pulling her feathers out. She is the rather more mental chicken of the three, so perhaps she's just unbalanced!
I had wondered whether she might be the one most likely to go broody, as being Black Rocks, they are half Rhode Island Red, (which are supposed to be good mothers and go broody quite easily), and she is much more Rhodie-looking than the others - hence the name Ginger! |
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Marigold123
Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 224
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monkey1973
Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 683 Location: Bonnie scotland
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judith
Joined: 16 Dec 2004 Posts: 22789 Location: Montgomeryshire
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Marigold123
Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 224
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Posted: Mon Mar 07, 05 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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I'll quote this bit about red mite from my old chicken book. It's 'Keeping Chickens' from the 'Garden Farming' Series, and is written by John Walters and Michael Parker - First published 1976(!)
"Red mites:
These are in fact greyish in colour, about the size of a small pinhead and live in cracks and joints in the woodwork of the house. They visit the birds at night to suck blood and it is only then that they appear red. Heavy infestations, that are easy to overlook because the inects live away from the birds, can result in anaemia and lower egg production and, in some instances, can deter the birds from laying in the nests.
Heavy infestations in a house may at first be recognised by reddish-black droppings on the eggs. When they appear, check the undersides of the nest box lids, among the litter and in crevices. Small clusters of the insects may be exposed that scatter when disturbed. Their droppings show up clearly against dark woodwork. Examine the birds at night time when the mites feed."
Hope this is some use.
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EDIT: Sorry, Judith, our posts must have crossed. |
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Marigold123
Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 224
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judith
Joined: 16 Dec 2004 Posts: 22789 Location: Montgomeryshire
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Marigold123
Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 224
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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I wasn't thinking of stopping them dusbathing, I just don't want them to do it over the tree roots, in case it's this that's rubbing the feathers off. They make new ones in different places all the time, particularly when the soil is dry.
I've checked and double-checked the hen house, but not at night yet. I'll do this tonight, just in case. I replaced the litter very recently, and gave everything a good sweep out, and there was no sign of anything untoward then.
If the feathers were falling out on their own, wouldn't it happen mostly while they were preening, (which they mostly seem to do when they roost for the night)? But there are no feathers in the house, only near the dustbathing area, or blowing around loose. I should think it would be the same if they were pulling them out because they were uncomfortable.
There's no sign on their skin that they might be sore or itchy; the bald areas on all three birds were quite easy to see when I examined them, and I could see no sign of anything sore or itchy, on any of them, though some of the feathers were a bit muddy where they've been wriggling around on the damp earth.
They're not showing any sign of being uncomfortable. No extra preening or fidgeting, or extra dustbathing either, which, with the healthy looking skin, makes me think it might be the tree roots.
I'll use a mild barrier cream to stop their skin getting dry in the cold weather, and see if I can get hold of some dry sand for them to bathe in instead.
Meanwhile, I'll keep on checking for bugs.
Can anyone tell me how long it should take for feathers lost in this way to grow back? - providing there is no underlying bug problem, of course.
Thank goodness it is more or less Spring. |
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Bugs
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 10744
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Marigold123
Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 224
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Treacodactyl Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 25795 Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism
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judith
Joined: 16 Dec 2004 Posts: 22789 Location: Montgomeryshire
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