Thank you.
Welcome to our little thread!
There's no need to worry, the age yours are they won't moult again until they are about 16 -18 months old, and moulting usually takes place late summer or early autumn - although they might lose the odd feather here or there, throughout the year. Mine are still in their second juvenile moult, some chickens juvenile moults are barely noticeable other than they change colour/rooster gets their saddle feathers etc. Some birds juvenile moult quicker than others, my two are very very slow, there is a hard moult which is when the bird loses loads of feathers and can even be bald for a time and will typically take anything between 4-12 weeks or there is a soft moult which is where they only lose a few feathers here and there over a long period of time, which in my two's case has been over 3 months but they hopefully are coming to the end of it as there are hardly any pin feathers left and as far as I can tell have all their adult feathers now. Pedro has always had an awful time in her first juvenile moult and through this one, her second juvenile moult, just is that some birds do. As you know ducks are different and typically moult a couple or so times a year.
Strangely enough she doesn't touch her at all during confinement, only while they are out foraging in the garden - its usually at the start of the morning about an hour or so after I've let them out for the day, and again in the mid afternoon, other than that she leaves her alone. She seems to like the stronger feathers and isn't interested in the fluffy feathers. I need to find out the measurements of my garden as I have no idea at all but what I can say is, it isn't a tiny garden, and is such that if all 8 birds wanted to sit separately away from each other they'd have plenty of space to do so, however they seem to have their favourite spots and will stick to them - I don't think its a space issue because there is a part of the garden they don't really go to, I often I walk them around the garden to the parts they don't use and I have dug up a patch big enough for the ducks to drill or the chickens to dust bath in as I am hoping they will expand their range, but so far they've only expanded a short way out from their typical spots - Lilah on the other hand makes use of the whole garden and takes Roo with her. Put it this way, I've seen farms with way more chickens in a space smaller than my garden, so hopefully it isn't a space issue.
Awwww that's a lovely memorial for him and will be nice for you to remember him by. Although sudden death syndrome is awful as is any death of a loved one, the small mercy of SDS is that it is so quick and without suffering as would be with a sick bird. He had a wonderful life with you and one worth living so please try to remember that you made his time on earth a happy time
I'm so sorry!
Oh no I'm so sorry!OMG guys Silkie just died!!!
I was in our side yard and all the birds were foraging in our backyard and I heard him squawk loudly and saw him frantically flapping his wings.
But he didn’t run. He couldn’t seem to get up.
I ran over and so did Angus.
All the other birds were disturbed by what was happening with Silkie but they weren’t running from anything.
There were no predators or anything.
No other birds were next to him.
By the time I got over to him (mere seconds!) he had passed.
He even had a bit of food in his mouth.
DH and I believe he had a heart attack.
I can’t believe it...He was only 8.5 months old.
RIP dear Silkie. You were loved!!
You had a great life even if it was short.
I’ll miss your beautiful crows!!!!
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I understand the worry but sounds to me like Prince is doing his job and doing it well. The fact that he only warns and doesn't do the damage he is capable of doing is proof he isn't aggressive and shows he has good restraint and control of his emotions. I'm sorry for your sister having to experience that and I am glad she is ok but at the same time I'm thinking this has been a good opportunity for you to see he doesn't attack without good reason. Imo you have yourself a very good keeper for your girls in him and the more you learn him, the more you can anticipate his moves. Can't help feeling very proud of him actually.
