feather plucking and thin shells

[missmychicks246]

A year and a half ago we moved to a new rental and couldnt keep our chickens. We took them to my in laws cause they already had an empty coop and could kerp the girls for us. After a little while one of our RIR starting plucking her feathers. There is large section from her back down to her tail that is completely bald. Now I have noticed a significant drop in egg quailty. Yolks aren't as thick, and the egg shells are paper thin. I keep telling them they need a calcium supplement of some kind but they refuse to listen. Im not sure what to do about the plucking. Any ideas?

 

[foreverlearning]

Check for lice and mites for the plucking. Layer feed should have everything in it that they need, has the feed been changed from what you were feeding them? Blu kote bald areas to prevent others from picking and check that the protein levels in the feed are enough. You can always go over there and add a bowl of oyster shell. Just because they don't provide it doesn't mean that you can't.

 

[missmychicks246]

We had an issue with mites last summer and that has since been dealt with. She was plucking before that though. The feed is the same. Purina omega layer pellets. I was going to go buy some oyster shells this week while they are gone. But how do I stop the plucking?

 

[missmychicks246]

And what is blu kote?

 

[foreverlearning]

Blu Kote is found in the horse section of feed stores. It is an antiseptic spray on wound dressing used on horses for it's staying power and chickens tend not to like to peck at the color. It sprays on blue so you need to wear old clothes because it gets everywhere.