Feather issue on saddle area?

[SilkieSisters]

X2 on a saddle suggestion. It might prevent further picking, sunburn, or hen on hen riding. Like a bandaid. As feathers come back in and cover skin the saddle can come off.

I'll get one, thank you!

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings SilkieSisters

I have a hen that went through the same thing. Her feather quality was terrible, on top of that, her back was bare and so were her wing elbows.

At first, I naturally assumed it was due to the rooster. So I put him out of the pen every day, for a month, to give her a break. She is also, at the end of the pecking order. In March, this poor girl was also diagnosed with tumors of the oviduct.

In April, I discovered the other hens were responsible for removing her feathers. Two hens were pulling and eating her feathers! I learned this, after putting a game cam in the run.

Because of my hen's tumors, I had to put her in a protected area for half of the day. She could eat and be treated in peace, and in the late afternoons, she would be put out with the flock to forage. Then, she would head up to the coop to sleep with the flock.

As the months went by she slowly began to regrow her feathers. I continued this routine. I changed her feed to 18% grower mash, with extra greens and some fruit. She also received certain treatments, for her tumors and ascites. She had a lot stacked against her, but she has done well and is more beautiful now, than she was in her first year. She will be two years old in December.

Here she is in late April. You can't see her back, but it was completely bare.

Here she is this morning; her comb and wattles are dry due to her condition. But, look at her wing feathers.

Here is her full body pose.

In conclusion:

• The feathers that were broken at the base, were recently replaced during her molt.
• Feathers on the back that were rubbed off by the rooster, and others, pulled out by flock members, started to regrow in June. This was supported with diet change and a hen saddle that she wore early on, while with the flock.
• Because of her compromised immune system, she also received several baths, using Sebo shampoo, just in case skin bacteria, yeast or feather mites were involved.
• She remained in a protected area half of the day to rest, eat, and recieve treatment.
• The rooster was not allowed to mate the hen all Summer.

But, visitation was encouraged daily. Visiting hens were also brought in.

She hasn't had any issues, re-intergrating back into the flock, which I did just last week. She is happy and doing well.

This is my experience with severe feather loss in one of my hens. I hope I have been helpful.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Okay will do. I have oyster shells for them and she is too old to lay eggs anymore, but I'll make sure she gets what she needs

You don't have to worry about supplying extra calcium to any bird not laying eggs. If she is too old, she'll be fine on an all-flock feed. Even the occasional egg (once a month) won't require more Ca than she is getting from other feed.
Older birds don't uptake nutrients as well as younger birds so a vitamin/mineral supplement a couple times a month couldn't hurt her.

 

[SilkieSisters]

Greetings SilkieSisters

I have a hen that went through the same thing. Her feather quality was terrible, on top of that, her back was bare and so were her wing elbows.

At first, I naturally assumed it was due to the rooster. So I put him out of the pen every day, for a month, to give her a break. She is also, at the end of the pecking order. In March, this poor girl was also diagnosed with tumors of the oviduct.

In April, I discovered the other hens were responsible for removing her feathers. Two hens were pulling and eating her feathers! I learned this, after putting a game cam in the run.

Because of my hen's tumors, I had to put her in a protected area for half of the day. She could eat and be treated in peace, and in the late afternoons, she would be put out with the flock to forage. Then, she would head up to the coop to sleep with the flock.

As the months went by she slowly began to regrow her feathers. I continued this routine. I changed her feed to 18% grower mash, with extra greens and some fruit. She also received certain treatments, for her tumors and ascites. She had a lot stacked against her, but she has done well and is more beautiful now, than she was in her first year. She will be two years old in December.

Here she is in late April. You can't see her back, but it was completely bare.
View attachment 1535708
Here she is this morning; her comb and wattles are dry due to her condition. But, look at her wing feathers.
View attachment 1535753
Here is her full body pose.
View attachment 1535754

In conclusion:

• The feathers that were broken at the base, were recently replaced during her molt.
• Feathers on the back that were rubbed off by the rooster, and others, pulled out by flock members, started to regrow in June. This was supported with diet change and a hen saddle that she wore early on, while with the flock.
• Because of her compromised immune system, she also received several baths, using Sebo shampoo, just in case skin bacteria, yeast or feather mites were involved.
• She remained in a protected area half of the day to rest, eat, and recieve treatment.
• The rooster was not allowed to mate the hen all Summer.

But, visitation was encouraged daily. Visiting hens were also brought in.
View attachment 1535768

She hasn't had any issues, re-intergrating back into the flock, which I did just last week. She is happy and doing well.

This is my experience with severe feather loss in one of my hens. I hope I have been helpful.

Thanks a lot for the info and your girl is so pretty, I'm glad she recovered. What treatments did you give her for the ascites? I may have another hen who has that issue. Also, back to the hen with feather issues, she can no longer fly or use her wings and is on and off when it comes to walking. She's a fighter and stays strong to get up and keep walking. I made her a wheelchair that supports her when she has walking issues and then she's fine after a few days of that. Could her age have anything to do with it?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Age can be a problem. Did you ever say how old the hen was?

 

[SilkieSisters]

Age can be a problem. Did you ever say how old the hen was?

I'm not completely sure, but she's definitely over 7 years old.