cmonkey
In the Brooder
- Apr 13, 2015
- 34
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We have 16, seven week old chickens that are all doing very well....except for possibly one. We have a dark brahmas rooster that is very nearly constantly scratching at his chin/neck with his feet and is constantly cheeping! Once in a while he just goes completely nuts as if he is being attacked.
I looked at his neck skin and it is a little bit red, but doesn't look pussy or infected. His scratching does seem to be damaging the new feathers though. He is really slow to get his new feathers and it almost seems like his growing new feathers is causing him all this discomfort. He has been doing it for the past 2-3 weeks.
I am inclined not to think its lice/mites because all the others are fine and I put down DE regularly.
He is clearly developing slower than the rest of the chickens too. He only has half of his body covered in new feathers, the rest is covered in his baby feathers/small bare patches where the new ones are coming in. All of the other 15 are completely feathered at this point. Maybe this breed is slow to develop?
I did notice that they are not really taking dust baths due to a lack of loose dry soil so I loosened a bunch of compacted soil for them to use. Hoping this helps.
Can feather development cause discomfort/itching?
I looked at his neck skin and it is a little bit red, but doesn't look pussy or infected. His scratching does seem to be damaging the new feathers though. He is really slow to get his new feathers and it almost seems like his growing new feathers is causing him all this discomfort. He has been doing it for the past 2-3 weeks.
I am inclined not to think its lice/mites because all the others are fine and I put down DE regularly.
He is clearly developing slower than the rest of the chickens too. He only has half of his body covered in new feathers, the rest is covered in his baby feathers/small bare patches where the new ones are coming in. All of the other 15 are completely feathered at this point. Maybe this breed is slow to develop?
I did notice that they are not really taking dust baths due to a lack of loose dry soil so I loosened a bunch of compacted soil for them to use. Hoping this helps.
Can feather development cause discomfort/itching?
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