INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Impatiently waiting on my Lavender orps to finish molt. Most of the geese and adult ducks are molting also, and a few of my turkeys. Saw so many feathers today I started counting heads, worrying we had a predator attack. Still getting EE eggs, good girls. Except for the duck hens, looks like the current broody spell has finally passed. Now if the turkeys would get back to laying, I'll be happy.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@jchny2000
So it isn't unusual for them to molt in July.... I have a couple birds that are looking kind of scruffy that I was suspecting a molt would start soon. I haven't seen a lot of feathers dropped, but a few here and there. I was thinking July is kind of early.


(@pipdzipdnreadytogo )

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

@jchny2000
So it isn't unusual for them to molt in July.... I have a couple birds that are looking kind of scruffy that I was suspecting a molt would start soon. I haven't seen a lot of feathers dropped, but a few here and there. I was thinking July is kind of early.


(@pipdzipdnreadytogo )

My geese usually do right after laying seasons over. Glad the chickens started already, last year a few were molting in the winter. Guessing my scovys are about finished laying this year too, all but 1 drake has molted and one hen has so far. I do think the cold spring and early summer really threw off laying season in the birds. Glad to see them molting at a better time of year.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

@jchny2000

So it isn't unusual for them to molt in July.... I have a couple birds that are looking kind of scruffy that I was suspecting a molt would start soon. I haven't seen a lot of feathers dropped, but a few here and there. I was thinking July is kind of early.


(@pipdzipdnreadytogo )

I've had hens molt as early as June before, which seemed way early to me. Actually, one of my younger Easter-eggers has always started her molt in June, so this year is kind of odd because she isn't molting yet! I have at least one hen going now in the main flock, though. Pretty sure more than one, but I can't tell for sure because I haven't figured out who.

Got to agree with this being a better time of year for it, though! You'll probably remember I had one hen who went almost completely bare in December a couple years back. :/ Definitely don't want a repeat of that!


This is my first molting season for ducks, too, so I was a bit surprised to see it looking like a pillow fight had happened in the duck yard over the past few weeks. A pillow fight that my drake, Malcolm, is clearly losing. I need to get pictures of him, he looks pretty patchy at the moment.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Impatiently waiting on my Lavender orps to finish molt. Most of the geese and adult ducks are molting also, and a few of my turkeys. Saw so many feathers today I started counting heads, worrying we had a predator attack. Still getting EE eggs, good girls. Except for the duck hens, looks like the current broody spell has finally passed. Now if the turkeys would get back to laying, I'll be happy.

My SLW has been molting, and I had thought that it was an unusual time of year. Then I realized that summer is the best time to lose feathers!

Advice needed please
Speaking of losing feathers, my adorable tiny Black Cochin, Screech, is practically bald from the big hens pecking her. (@ellymayRans is Screech's aunt). You see, Screech lacks manners and is constantly butting in and being grabby which infuriates the top tier hens. Screech's head is not red or sore looking, but it obviously isn't a good situation. Twice now, I've used a paint brush to paint some Rooster Booster Blue/Purple horrible smelling coating on her head, but Screech looked miserable (can't blame her!) and tried scratching it off. Today I put a little Vaseline on because I didn't know what else to do. I've used a little Ver RX/camphor oil and also have used a little natural oil insect repellent on my chickens' feathers before to keep other chickens away, but I don't want to use something like that directly or Screech's skin. Does anyone have any advice about what I can use? I don't think I can teach manners to Screech because it's just not in her nature!

Interesting news a couple days ago my father noticed a kitten roaming around the yard so he put out some cat food and surprise surprise we have a new kitten but he's so small I was worried he'd be attacked or eaten or something so we put out a car crate for him and I've been checking on him as much as possible but the interesting new is who adopted him... Henry, Thelma and Louis has seemingly adopted him because every morning the kitten is found in the coop Henry is a bit over protective of his hens and Thelma and Louis are the bosses of the yard Henry a rir roo and Thelma and Louis buff Orpington hens... So I guess the kitten is a happy new member of the chicken flock... Although I do wonder if they are raising their future killer... Or are cats ok if they are raised around them?
@daskhan My grown cats have always been afraid of my mean gang of chickens and their big beaks. I'm sure that a kitten raised with chickens will think that's normal. We had a similar situation once years ago and at the time we had a gigantic pet rabbit that lived in a fenced in area of the yard. It was wintertime and the kitten and rabbit loved cuddling together.

 

[ChickCrazed]

@jchny2000
So it isn't unusual for them to molt in July.... I have a couple birds that are looking kind of scruffy that I was suspecting a molt would start soon. I haven't seen a lot of feathers dropped, but a few here and there. I was thinking July is kind of early.


(@pipdzipdnreadytogo )

I have a bunch in molt also. It seems super early. I wonder what they all know that we don't about the weather for the rest of the year....eek.

 

[daskhan]

I've used vapo rub on hens that were pecking each other's butts and worked great

 

[Indyshent]

Last night the heat lamp exploded and killed the little EE that @Bawk gave me. She was getting so big and adorable. Poor little buff Orp is lost without her sissy.

Went ahead and gave all the bitties a bath today after burying the little EE. They're not happy with me, but it was needed because they were filthy birdies.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Last night the heat lamp exploded and killed the little EE that @Bawk gave me. She was getting so big and adorable. Poor little buff Orp is lost without her sissy.

Went ahead and gave all the bitties a bath today after burying the little EE. They're not happy with me, but it was needed because they were filthy birdies.

Yikes! Glad nothing caught fire, scary stuff. I am so sorry to hear of your loss.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Last night the heat lamp exploded and killed the little EE that @Bawk gave me. She was getting so big and adorable. Poor little buff Orp is lost without her sissy.

Went ahead and gave all the bitties a bath today after burying the little EE. They're not happy with me, but it was needed because they were filthy birdies.

Wow...never heard of one exploding and killing a little one. So sorry..... Last time I brooded w/out a mamma I decided to get a heat plate instead of using a lamp. It is one purchase I'm glad I made. I hope to never have to use a bulb ever again.

No cover needed. They like to rest on the top.
https://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=135875&species_id=ALL&criteria=heat+plate