Feather loss and light in weight

Oliveview · « **on:** July 20, 2008, 22:20 »

I´ve noticed one of my hens has lost her feathers on the back of her neck. I picked her up to look and she feels quite light. They get mash and grain and assorted green stuff and veg (weeds/lettuce/tomato etc) and free range all day. I have tried to keep an eye on them to see if they are all eating- trouble is the minute they see/hear me/us they are out at the gate/fence to see what else is on offer. I have noticed no sign of bullying and feather plucking from the other hens. Could this just be a sign that she is getting old? (around 20 months at a guess)
I checked her over and found no sign of mite or anything else lurking. They dust bathe every day- as I said in previous postings the orchard is booby trapped with deep holes :shock: The soil is very sandy so great for the hens to excavate

Pamela

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #1 on:** July 20, 2008, 22:36 »

I wouldn't say 20 months is old Pamela. Is she moulting perhaps ?

Oliveview · « **Reply #2 on:** July 20, 2008, 22:45 »

Where the feathers have come out there is no sign of any pecked skin, it is all nice and smooth, so it possibly is moulting, I didn´t think of that :oops:
Glad 20 months isn´t old, I´m quite attached to my girls

One of the neighbours hens ended up almost bald, I called it oven ready. It grew all it´s feathers back eventually.
Pamela

flocko · « **Reply #3 on:** July 21, 2008, 08:22 »

Check the hen house for red mite. We had this with our chickens and thought they where in a moult. Checked them over for parasites, couldn't see anything. On Thursday went into the nest boxes to check a broody hen and she was almost dead, she was being sucked to death by red mite.

She died 1 hour later. Sprayed the house and it was absolutely over run with the b*****ds. I had no idea. BOY DO I FEEL BAD.

kimT · « **Reply #4 on:** July 21, 2008, 09:02 »

Those red mite are evil little B's! I rub garlic cloves on my perches and yes it smells like the local Indian takaway but it keeps the B's at bay.

Have your girls been wormed recently?

rainie · « **Reply #5 on:** July 21, 2008, 15:15 »

I too had the problem with lice, not mites though. I thought I had checked them but obviously didnt look hard enough, and the poor chucks were covered. When I treated them I thought it had gone but they hung around. Think i may have cracked it now though, they need checking again now.

Garlic cloves on perches is something I've not heard of. Do you use anything else or just the garlic?
Thanks, rainie

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