What's wrong?

[pixiechix]

Cheryl is 8 months old. Can anyone tell us what's going on and what we should do?

 

[ten chicks]

Cheryl is 8 months old. Can anyone tell us what's going on and what we should do?

If you feel she is not molting,then look for mites/lice,look under base of tail feathers,around vent area,under wings.

 

[pixiechix]

I feel it's a little early to be molting, but we're not sure as this is our first flock. She seems fine and we've checked for mites/lice. Is there something we should put on it? There is at least one more that looks similar (we have 12). We're adding a red light in the hen house to soothe them. Not sure what else we can do.

 

[Eggcessive]

This looks like the rooster has been overmating her. What is your rooster to hen ratio? 1 to 10 is maximum. Young roosters under a year old tend to be very active with the ladies, and they have their favorites. You may want to put up the boys for awhile in their own area, or get more hens. Unfortunately she may not regrow those feathers until her first big molt at 18 months of age. Look up hen aprons--you can make your own out of polarfleece to slip over their wings--it may help keep warm this winter.

 

[pixiechix]

We only have hens. We're in northern IN and it will get very cold soon. I might just have to start sewing. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you don't have a rooster, then it must be feather picking or mites. The red mite will only get on them at night, hiding during the day in the woodwork. If you look after dark with a flashlight and find no mites under the vent, then I would give more protein in the diet--20% is good and not too much. More room to roam and some things of interest to explore may help feather-picking.