Bad molt or bad roos or perhaps a frazzle?

[izziebean]

My beautiful frizzle has lost so much feathering over the past couple of weeks. My first thought was that the rooster was over mating with her. I made her a chicken apron which hasn't fit the best, but even on the days she was wearing it, the feathers were still falling off. For the past week, I've been separating her from the rest of the flock except for a few hours during the day when they are playing out in the yard. The main rooster follows her around and won't let the other roos go near her. She is the darling of the flock and even gets the first food. I have never witnessed any of the other hens peck at her. If they get close when she's eating, she will set them in their place. A few of the feathers have fallen off when I pick her up. I don't know what to do to help her. She lays an egg almost everyday for the past five weeks. When I pick her up, even the feathers left are very prickly and sharp. I know it's painful for her. I've also worried that perhaps she is a frazzle. Would that not show up until she is six months old? The first picture is from July. It's from her back side. ((I promise that she does have a head.. she's bending over eating)). The second is from a few minutes ago.






Any advice or treatment would be greatly appreciated. She is my favorite bird... the one that comes running when I go into the backyard and follows me while I do my chores. She's precious and sweet. Would neosporin help? Or sunscreen? or sell the rooster???

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's from your rooster, separate him or sell him, otherwise she will continue to look like that, then saddles aren't good on frizzles as they break off feathers.

 

[izziebean]

Ya, I'm not able to get the apron up under her wing because the feathers are so curly. There must be some other solution? Will all roosters do this to her or just this one? Is this typically a problem for frizzled cochins?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Unfortunately it's common in frizzles, especially if they are a favorite of the rooster, mine get bare backed over the summer and are just now growing back, if you separate out the rooster for a couple of months where he can be seen than maybe when put back he will not bother her so much, frizzle cochins hens are too easy for the rooster to catch. If she goes broody and raises some chicks she will be left alone for a bit as well.

 

[izziebean]

Aww that is disheartening news. I have two new frizzles on their way to me. The polish rooster and this little frizzle are always together. He watches her like a hawk. O, funny.. 'like a hawk'. I HOPE NO HAWK IS WATCHING MY LITTLE FRIZZLE!

I built a cute little coop for her to stay during the night. I don't like that she is all alone in there but she actually seems very happy. If she didn't lay the egg during the night, she will fuss and run at the gate until I put her in there to lay the egg. I actually have 4 roosters right now. One is the head rooster. He only mates with the houdans. My blue silkie has the white silkie. I bought two buff silkies for my buff silkie and then Don gets the frizzle. It was working good until Happy started losing feathers. Once the new coop is complete (hopefully in the next week or two) then I can just keep the girls in the coop and run by themselves. The boys can free range around the run. I'm raising up six little girls.. they are almost five weeks. Bought two more. Trying to get my hen count up but I may have to be parting with some very friendly and fun chickens soon.

Can your frizzle fly at all? Mine tries. She tries to jump out of my arms and fly but she hits the ground with a 'thud!'. I now won't let her wiggle her way out. I do wonder if she is over frizzled. Her feathers have pointy things. Are they supposed to be soft? She came from the local feed store, but I think they just order from one of the big hatcheries.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mine can't fly either, yours looks like a frizzle, frazzles are overly curly,


This fellow was a frazzle.


This one was a frizzle.

It probably would be better to pick one rooster for the hens and separate out the rest, frizzles are very soft, like cotton balls.

 

[izziebean]

I think mine is halfway in between with the curls. I had a red frizzle roo who was super soft. Happy, since she was about 3 weeks old, has always had a few things sticking out that poked my hands and I'm sure isn't very comfortable for her. She could fly a little when she was a little chick. I think it surprised both of us when she hit the ground so hard when she got older.

Yes, I think I may have to re-home another rooster or two. The blue silkie.. he/she has been crowing for a couple of months but sounds like tarzan.. not like a rooster at all. I am still not convinced the little one is a boy. I bought Prissypants and Fancypants to go with Dangerpants. They are all buff silkies and such a cute little family. I knew selling a silkie roo would be hard but thought it might be easier if I paired him with a hen. Prissy and Fancy freak out without each other and now I think if I sell him, I'd have to sell both of them.

This would be easier if I had a huge farm and could just build more coops and runs and let them all have their own families. The last rooster I re-homed, it broke me a bit. He was the sweetest mottled houdan. He did nothing wrong. He was never aggressive. You'd think after re-homing 16 roosters that I'd be a little more thick skinned... but it never changed.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I don't like such things either so I understand your dilemma, I do have that big farm with lots of poultry and I still have problems deciding what to do with too many roosters. I sometimes hold onto them with the hope that I can fit them in. I don't rehome so it's either keep or cull, I usually have a lot of extra bantam roosters without hens because I can't cull them, I am approaching such a situation, I have 5 new little roosters this year and only three new hens so some decisions in the next six months for me as well. I wish I had the ability to just butcher and eat, but it's not in my nature and I don't eat meat. Good luck, hopefully you can figure it out.

 

[izziebean]

I do s'pose that even if I had a huge farm, I would eventually have too many birds.. just on a larger scale. The bantams were easier to rehome to the 4h kids. I do eat meat, but I don't think I could eat one of my birds. It's hypocritical of me, but I'm just not there. I haven't been able to just sell them to someone who will eat them either. Is it incredibly hard to cull your own even when you know it's best for the flock?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Glad to know I'm not the only one with such dilemmas. I am up to 60 chickens and am wanting more. I always keep as many as possible while still being able to accommodate and properly care for them.