Foster Chickens need help!!

[m&m chickens]

We got 4 birds to "foster" about 3 weeks ago, and of course ended up adopting them. Unfortunately they came from a small coop and were beat up by the roosters in the flock. After 3 weeks one of them looks like she's trying to grow some of her feathers back, but the others still look awful!! Their backs are mostly bare, although the skin looks much better, and the tops of their wing feathers are still broken and sparce. They were randomely laying eggs when we got them, and I have been feeding them chick starter/grower since we got them. My other birds are free range during the day, and enjoy a wide variety of food scraps as well. The new birds have been accepted into the flock very well, and transitioned to the regular layer pellets. Anything else I can do to promote new feather growth? They are 2-3 years old. I feel so bad for them.....

 

[TeamChaos]

Oh, I'm glad they ended up in your flock! It is my understanding that some feathers do not regenerate between molts- meaning that once the feather is lost, it will remain bare until after their next molt which could mean months. There are showbird foods that promote feather growth, if you were interested in going that route. In my experience, the skin must heal and rest for quite a while before the new feather growth starts. Best of luck!

 

[Ellochicken]

There is a feed for show birds that is high in oils, so try using that... it might encourage the new feathers to sprout.

I hope this information helps!

-Ellochicken