Chicken Drama- please help!

[Meganita513]

Nice to see you! Welcome To BYC
Where does it say the birds are molting right now? OP said "THIS SPRING (END OF APRIL/MAY)."

Yeah- I think that what I initially thought was a molt, was actually something else. Or maybe that some were molting (and have since replaced feathers) but the ones with something else have stayed that way.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks everyone! I will look into all of this. The coop drainage has been fixed with sand and more elevated areas, and more stable cover on the run. I am located in Indiana. I haven’t seen any signs of sneezing or runny noses but I will check everyone tonight. Getting the rooster away will be tricky because he is majorly protective. I provide layer feed and oyster shell, and give occasional treats of veggies, greens and rolled oats depending on what I’m cooking in the kitchen. I’ll keep you posted!

Yeah- I think that what I initially thought was a molt, was actually something else. Or maybe that some were molting (and have since replaced feathers) but the ones with something else have stayed that way.

Photos of the damage and your set-up may be helpful.

If space is at a premium, that can cause a lot of stress, aggression, feather picking. A rooster can also have a few favorites that look more worn than others.
Also if space is limited, removing the rooster may help, but a lot of times the more dominant hen(s) will take his place and become bullies - a good rooster helps control unwanted behavior in hens, so take a little time to consider if he needs separation or if it's better to move/re-home hens. Probably not a popular view to most, but a lot of times everything gets blamed on the rooster.

 

[cottagecheese]

LOL! 'Chicken Drama', never seen a thread more aptly named!
OP, of course some of your birds are still molting - a molt may take as long as 4 to 6 months. https://extension.msstate.edu/content/molting-laying-hens It is extremely common for a molt to last 2 to 3 months, which is the case here.

For anyone who is interested, here is why chickens get worms, or children get recurrent bacterial infections, etc (thank you to Dana Ullman, MPH, CCH and to the legendary Dr. Tyler). Let's use an analogy - the situation of mosquitoes and swamps. Swamps are a perfect environment for the mosquitoes to reproduce. Think of using insecticide to kill the mosquitoes, conventional medicine will use de-wormers, or antibiotics respectively. Now the mosquitoes are dead, the worms gone, the bacteria dead (the good ones too I'm afraid oops). But, because the swamp is still a swamp, it is still a perfect environment for new mosquitoes to fly in and to lay their eggs. So, time for a new round of insecticides, but over time, some mosquitoes do not get sprayed with fatal doses. Instead, they adapt to the insecticide that they have ingested, and with each generation they are able to pass an increased immunity to the insecticide on to their offspring. Hello anthelmintic resistance and hello antibiotic resistance! I remember @CarpCharacin had a thread on antibiotic resistance. Although the antibiotics may be effective in getting rid of the bacteria temporarily, they do not change the factors that led to the infection in the first place. The physician prescribes antibiotics but doesn’t change the conditions which created the problem and you my fellow chicken keepers use chemical de-wormers but don't change the immune system of your animals. Homeopathic Cina acts vibrationally, stimulates the immune system and makes the body inhospitable to worms, in other words drains the swamp. No more swamp means no more mosquitoes, or in other words no more worms, or no more recurrent bacterial infections. Food for thought. I recommend the protocol in the link.
https://joettecalabrese.com/blog/what-you-cows-and-worms-have-in-common-cina/

HOW TO STORE
Homeopathics should be stored at room temperature, away from light, away from strong smells, and away from strong electromagnetic fields. 'Strong smells' means very strong aromatics or toxic odors like eucalyptus, wintergreen, peppermint, essential oils like patchouli, strong perfumes, strong after-shave and soap, smelly chemicals, moth-balls.

HOW TO ADMINISTER
It is very important to not touch them, if accidentally touched or if they fall on the floor/ground, they should be thrown away (not a problem because they are very cheap).

 

[CarpCharacin]

Take a look at this: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/sites/defa...rmation-paper-effectiveness-of-homeopathy.pdf

 

[MomJones]

FENBENDAZOLE SHOULD NEVER BE GIVEN TO BIRDS WHO ARE MOLTING.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/drugs/fenbendazole

Let's talk worms @Meganita513. I like doing my own research because I am aware of the many tricks played on the public by the medical system, usually they only have to use the magic word 'science' and everyone bows down. But... science is corruptible unfortunately, I should know, because I taught at one of the Ivy Leagues, and I can report back to my fellow chicken keepers and sing like a canary LOL. So I looked closely at worms, figuratively speaking, never had the pleasure of a face to face meeting. They are just like germs, or any kind of pathogen, meaning a strong immune system keeps them away. Using a chemical de-wormer, while providing temporary relief, does nothing to correct the weakness of the immune system, so the worms will keep coming back. Of note is the fact that the chemical de-wormers have side effects, some more than others, sufficient to say that the poultry dvm warns about them. Fenbendazole is bad news because of the admitted liver toxicity, the best avian vets stay away from it. http://www.exoticpetvet.net/ IT SHOULD NEVER BE GIVEN TO BIRDS WHO ARE MOLTING, but even for birds who aren't molting - there is a better alternative.

Fairly recently I got into homeopathy, very glad I did actually, it is energetic or vibrational medicine and if done right it makes the body heal itself. Long story short, the homeopathic medication called CINA stimulates the immune system to make the body inhospitable to worms, especially roundworms, which are the most common. This is very effective and has actually been known for over 200 years, why on earth is it completely unknown on BYC (except for my own efforts)? It has no egg withdrawal, it is very safe and gentle and, like all homeopathic meds, it's very cheap. Don't want to make an overly long post, and I'm sure I don't need to insist. It's common sense to go through life using the best from every system of medicine, and not believing that what Big Pharma doesn't know or doesn't want to know - is not worth knowing.

I highly recommend you take this route and would still recommend it even if your birds weren't molting, smh, that was a close one. I'd be happy to give additional information about how to store, handle, or any questions you might have.

What a refreshing post. Thank you!

 

[Willowspirit]

FENBENDAZOLE SHOULD NEVER BE GIVEN TO BIRDS WHO ARE MOLTING.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/drugs/fenbendazole

Let's talk worms @Meganita513. I like doing my own research because I am aware of the many tricks played on the public by the medical system, usually they only have to use the magic word 'science' and everyone bows down. But... science is corruptible unfortunately, I should know, because I taught at one of the Ivy Leagues, and I can report back to my fellow chicken keepers and sing like a canary LOL. So I looked closely at worms, figuratively speaking, never had the pleasure of a face to face meeting. They are just like germs, or any kind of pathogen, meaning a strong immune system keeps them away. Using a chemical de-wormer, while providing temporary relief, does nothing to correct the weakness of the immune system, so the worms will keep coming back. Of note is the fact that the chemical de-wormers have side effects, some more than others, sufficient to say that the poultry dvm warns about them. Fenbendazole is bad news because of the admitted liver toxicity, the best avian vets stay away from it. http://www.exoticpetvet.net/ IT SHOULD NEVER BE GIVEN TO BIRDS WHO ARE MOLTING, but even for birds who aren't molting - there is a better alternative.

Fairly recently I got into homeopathy, very glad I did actually, it is energetic or vibrational medicine and if done right it makes the body heal itself. Long story short, the homeopathic medication called CINA stimulates the immune system to make the body inhospitable to worms, especially roundworms, which are the most common. This is very effective and has actually been known for over 200 years, why on earth is it completely unknown on BYC (except for my own efforts)? It has no egg withdrawal, it is very safe and gentle and, like all homeopathic meds, it's very cheap. Don't want to make an overly long post, and I'm sure I don't need to insist. It's common sense to go through life using the best from every system of medicine, and not believing that what Big Pharma doesn't know or doesn't want to know - is not worth knowing.

I highly recommend you take this route and would still recommend it even if your birds weren't molting, smh, that was a close one. I'd be happy to give additional information about how to store, handle, or any questions you might have.

We used homeopathic remedies on our dobe with Wobblers. After three weeks of faithful and careful treatment she went from barely being able to walk to have to be carried on a stretcher. She had surgery and was up the next day. Not a believer in homeopathy. If we’d kept on she would have died. As it was, post surgery she lived five more years to age thirteen which is a good age for a Doberman.

 

[MomJones]

We used homeopathic remedies on our dobe with Wobblers. After three weeks of faithful and careful treatment she went from barely being able to walk to have to be carried on a stretcher. She had surgery and was up the next day. Not a believer in homeopathy. If we’d kept on she would have died. As it was, post surgery she lived five more years to age thirteen which is a good age for a Doberman.

Good point, Willow. I'm glad your Dobe made it.

 

[CarpCharacin]

We used homeopathic remedies on our dobe with Wobblers. After three weeks of faithful and careful treatment she went from barely being able to walk to have to be carried on a stretcher. She had surgery and was up the next day. Not a believer in homeopathy. If we’d kept on she would have died. As it was, post surgery she lived five more years to age thirteen which is a good age for a Doberman.

Homeopathy has been largely debunked as pseudoscience.

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

I have been using homeopathy for about 10 years. Like many different teachers, doctors, car mechanics, etc., some are better at their trade than others. I have had 2 different dogs in the past in seriously bad conditions. I took them to numerous vets, spent thousands of dollars and got no where. At one point the vets were strongly encouraging me to put the one dog down. In both cases, once connected to a good homeopath, in one week, the dogs made "miraculous" recoveries. I saw all my vet bills, as well as human doctor bills, go way down since using homeopathy. Homeopathy is my main form of health care for all the humans and animals in my household. Studies can be run to accomplish whatever they want. I'm sticking with what I have seen first hand what homeopathy can do.

 

[CarpCharacin]

I have been using homeopathy for about 10 years. Like many different teachers, doctors, car mechanics, etc., some are better at their trade than others. I have had 2 different dogs in the past in seriously bad conditions. I took them to numerous vets, spent thousands of dollars and got no where. At one point the vets were strongly encouraging me to put the one dog down. In both cases, once connected to a good homeopath, in one week, the dogs made "miraculous" recoveries. I saw all my vet bills, as well as human doctor bills, go way down since using homeopathy. Homeopathy is my main form of health care for all the humans and animals in my household. Studies can be run to accomplish whatever they want. I'm sticking with what I have seen first hand what homeopathy can do.

Did you see the link I posted? I'm not basing my opinion (which is also the general consensus of the scientific community) off one study, there are hundreds of studies supporting it.