[stickywicket]

My light sussex bantam went through a moult recently and was starting to look really good again when she got her new tail feathers through but in the last few weeks I've noticed that she was starting to lose a few feathers again (I thought maybe she hadn't quite finished moulting ) but today I've noticed that she's lost her tail feathers again!  I've also noticed that a lot of her feathers are more of a yellowish colour rather than true white. Not sure if these are the old or the new feathers but normally her feathers are true white.

What is going on? She has been acting a bit strange in that she doesn't want (or can't) get onto the main perch with the other two and roosts on the side of the nest box instead but otherwise she seems ok.

Any thoughts? I have been giving them a bit more corn because of the cold weather and for the last week or two I've started giving them a third of a teaspoon of poultry spice. Am I giving them too much of both maybe? 

[dizzylizzie]

Hi. is she being picked on by one of the others? have you checked for crawlies, or red mite? someone who actually knows what they are talking about will come alomg soon, thats just what i would check for!

[Foxy]

How old is she Skickywicket? 
You mention that her tail feathers are new? Has she gone through a "full" adult moult then? ie. has had her first laying season and has moulted properly. Hens moult in a sequence - head, neck, back, wing and tail. If her moult was arrested, then recommenced, moult will continue where it stopped in the sequence if that makes sense, so if her tail feathers are new she must have completed her moult.

Now, reasons for a partial moult are usually either illness or mechanical meaning they are somehow being removed and this is usually due to other hens. You can check this by examining the base of the tail, normally pin pricks of blood are signs that the tail feather has been plucked out. I am thinking though, you might have have a tail feather plucker, as a partial moult due to stress (shock for example) usually affects the neck, head area (first in natural moult sequence)

Check her weight, that she is not too light, and that you are giving a balanced diet - not too much porridge or treats. Check your wormng schedule, if she had been wormed in the last few months then that shouldn't be a problem.

Finally check very carefully around the base of the feather shafts around the vent, any evidence of what looks like crystalised minute sugar means they have lice, usally doesn't account for feather loss unless heavily infested and causing her to pluck her own feathers in irritation. Hope this helps!

[stickywicket]

Thanks for the advice Foxy. She has gone through a complete moult, tail and all. She was looking magnificent with her new tail feathers. So definitely not an interrupted moult.

I will check round her tail and vent as you suggest. Maybe one of the others is pecking her which might account for her reluctance to roost on the perch with them sometimes.