Love this section of the forum! Thank you for any help...I searched for this topic and did not find an answer specific enough to help me make a decision. My chicks have broken off feathers (and scraped up backs).
Questions I am seeking answers for: 1)Is there any treatment which could help these chicks re-feather faster?
2) As they are only 6wks, when will they next 'molt' or change feathers?
3) How long will it take to re-grow these feathers?
Answers to Forum questions:
1) What type of bird , age and weight. Java chicks, about 6wks old, weight varies from 1/2# to 1 1/8#
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Brooder at farm I purchased them from was quite short - they were scraping their backs on the top of the metal brooder and scraped off a LOT of their feathers. No, this is NOT mites. No, this is NOT feather picking (although they're doing some dominance pecking, that's usually around the head/neck and tail.)
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Since purchased at 5wks
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? Yes, 6 of the 11 purchased have 'bare naked backsides'. Three are extreme, three are more moderate.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. Some bleeding from stress of being moved from farm to our farmette. Treated with neosporin (no pain killer kind) with blue food coloring mixed in. No one local sells blu-kote. Made my own. Worked great. No more pecking from siblings due to attraction to the red color. The white chick in the photos below has a lot of the blue neosporin on her...that's the funny color especially up by her wings and on her hips.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Metal old-fashioned brooder with brooder lamp lowered in metal housing inside brooder. Lowered area + tall chicks = scraped up backs. Some feather ends (pins) are still intact, but the fluffy feather bit is gone. Some feather ends (pins) are simply not present.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. Completely everything offered! Intake and output seem normal.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. Normal.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Neosporin to heal obvious pecks from siblings. Otherwise left to own skin and feather repair.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Hoping to do own treatments.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. Pictures of worst two are below, other four are less severe, but also bare to skin with feathers broken off at surface of skin. Remember, the white chick has blue colored neosporin on her hips and her wings where she was bleeding from stress of transport.:
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use. Pine shavings 3" deep on raised wooded coop.
My concerns are they will be bare-naked for a long time yet. After being here for a week, I'm seeing very minimal feather re-growth. White (or black) fluffy downy type feathers, but not the mature feathers which keep rain off! (Downy ones are great for insulating, needed in this cool spring here - but it's rainy too!).
Thank you for your help.
Questions I am seeking answers for: 1)Is there any treatment which could help these chicks re-feather faster?
2) As they are only 6wks, when will they next 'molt' or change feathers?
3) How long will it take to re-grow these feathers?
Answers to Forum questions:
1) What type of bird , age and weight. Java chicks, about 6wks old, weight varies from 1/2# to 1 1/8#
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Brooder at farm I purchased them from was quite short - they were scraping their backs on the top of the metal brooder and scraped off a LOT of their feathers. No, this is NOT mites. No, this is NOT feather picking (although they're doing some dominance pecking, that's usually around the head/neck and tail.)
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Since purchased at 5wks
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? Yes, 6 of the 11 purchased have 'bare naked backsides'. Three are extreme, three are more moderate.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. Some bleeding from stress of being moved from farm to our farmette. Treated with neosporin (no pain killer kind) with blue food coloring mixed in. No one local sells blu-kote. Made my own. Worked great. No more pecking from siblings due to attraction to the red color. The white chick in the photos below has a lot of the blue neosporin on her...that's the funny color especially up by her wings and on her hips.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Metal old-fashioned brooder with brooder lamp lowered in metal housing inside brooder. Lowered area + tall chicks = scraped up backs. Some feather ends (pins) are still intact, but the fluffy feather bit is gone. Some feather ends (pins) are simply not present.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. Completely everything offered! Intake and output seem normal.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. Normal.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Neosporin to heal obvious pecks from siblings. Otherwise left to own skin and feather repair.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Hoping to do own treatments.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. Pictures of worst two are below, other four are less severe, but also bare to skin with feathers broken off at surface of skin. Remember, the white chick has blue colored neosporin on her hips and her wings where she was bleeding from stress of transport.:
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use. Pine shavings 3" deep on raised wooded coop.
My concerns are they will be bare-naked for a long time yet. After being here for a week, I'm seeing very minimal feather re-growth. White (or black) fluffy downy type feathers, but not the mature feathers which keep rain off! (Downy ones are great for insulating, needed in this cool spring here - but it's rainy too!).
Thank you for your help.
