[Ma Lowe]

For a while now 2 of my girls have had bare bums with just the odd feather sticking out .
We have sprayed them with anti feather pecking stuff and the vilolet spray but there are still no feathers growing back. My cleaning regime is extremely good as I check them every week for lice etc and spray if neccesary their coupe is pooh picked every single day and cleaned out every few weeks they are the cleanest chickens in this area lol but look the scruffiest 

We thought that once the new girls were added to the flock then things would get better with them as they wouldn't neccesserily be bottom of the pecking order but even though they are no longer on the bottom rung so as to speak their bums are not getting any fluffier just purpler.
Also one of them has lost weight but is eating fine and has had the regular worming with Flubenvet.

Any one have any ideas as to what is wrong and Is there anything else I can do?


Ma x

[sarah f]

good morning   

could be just moulting, and  can take a good many weeks to  grow new feathers.

[Casey76]

The feathers won't grow back until after they've moulted

[Ma Lowe]

Oh so could they be moulting still at this time of year?? I did wonder as I have not seen anyone pecking the feathers and come to think of it  our black rock has bare patches up her legs too. and fluffy feathers above her tail instead of the smooth ones

Can you tell I haven't seen a moulting bird before lol.

[GrannieAnnie]

Some of my older layers are like than Ma.  Bare bums for ages, and the Black rock and the CouCou also are bare at the base of their tails.  I've purpled them, spread vaseline and teatree oil on them, UKAEX, but still the same and I never see them pecking either, well at least not seriously, just the odd peck as one walks past.

I feel guilty about it, but just keep hoping they'll look better when they have moulted again!

They look such a mess though don't they? 

[Ma Lowe]

Thank goodness it's not just me then Grannie I thought I was missing something though what I don't know as I check them all the time.
They are quite embarrassing and look so scruffy compared to when we first had them and the Welsummer and Legbars we have look so beautiful in comparison. 

Maybe we should have a contest for the scruffiest looking girl lol 

[GrannieAnnie]

No good have that competition, some of the ex batts would win hands down!!   

[Ma Lowe]

ahhh yes forgot about those poor girls. The saying "there is always someone worse off than you" comes to mind