Cotton Hill Chick
Chirping
Hi Everyone,
I’m not sure I’m in the right forum, so am open to moving the post if needed.
We have a bantam Mille flour rooster that I’ve been keeping separate, but among, the flock for about 2 months now because he has been aggressive to the other Roos and mounting the hens ridiculously often. Yes, he’s young!
Anyway, he spends the day in a 10x10 chain link enclosure, covered for shade and partially covered against rain. Three sides are open to the flock around him. He has the same fresh food, fresh water as the flock. If the flock gets treats he does too. At night he goes into a cat carrier crate, inside the coop, hens roosting around him. Yesterday I cleaned out his sleeping crate, sprayed it with a mite and pest spray and put in fresh bedding, just in case.
In the last 3 days I am seeing aloe of feather loss, and not in the usual molt pattern. I’ve found at least 2-4 tail feathers or wing feathers a night.
His behavior seems normal otherwise. He has roosts in the chain link enclosure to fly up on, and he’s interacting with the flock at the fence line.
Do you all have thoughts on what might cause this kind of sudden feather loss?
Could it be stress related to being separate? That seems a stretch to me, but thought I’d ask those of you with more experience than I have!
Thanks for considering and any thoughts you can share!
I’m not sure I’m in the right forum, so am open to moving the post if needed.
We have a bantam Mille flour rooster that I’ve been keeping separate, but among, the flock for about 2 months now because he has been aggressive to the other Roos and mounting the hens ridiculously often. Yes, he’s young!
Anyway, he spends the day in a 10x10 chain link enclosure, covered for shade and partially covered against rain. Three sides are open to the flock around him. He has the same fresh food, fresh water as the flock. If the flock gets treats he does too. At night he goes into a cat carrier crate, inside the coop, hens roosting around him. Yesterday I cleaned out his sleeping crate, sprayed it with a mite and pest spray and put in fresh bedding, just in case.
In the last 3 days I am seeing aloe of feather loss, and not in the usual molt pattern. I’ve found at least 2-4 tail feathers or wing feathers a night.
His behavior seems normal otherwise. He has roosts in the chain link enclosure to fly up on, and he’s interacting with the flock at the fence line.
Do you all have thoughts on what might cause this kind of sudden feather loss?
Could it be stress related to being separate? That seems a stretch to me, but thought I’d ask those of you with more experience than I have!
Thanks for considering and any thoughts you can share!
