Help: losing feathers and skin turning blue? UPDATED

[clickchicks]

If the 18% grower feed contains only vegetable protein (peas or soy beans), your chickens might be lacking amino acids provided by animal protein which is even more important when moulting or during winter.

That's good to know. The current food does contain fish meal and cricket meal. The new one also has fish meal listed, albeit lower on the ingredient list:

old:

new:

 

[LaFleche]

That's good to know. The current food does contain fish meal and cricket meal. The new one also has fish meal listed, albeit lower on the ingredient list:

old:
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new:
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Quite a lot of ingredients, but what I focus on is the Diatomaceous earth in feed 1 and the Bentonit in feed 2.

Both have the property of not only binding and purging/flushing out toxic substances, but also bind and flush out vitamins and minerals as well.

While very useful when administered for some days to detox after symptoms of poisoning or diarrhea, as an ingredient in feed for every day use I would consider both counterproductive, as the added vitamins and minerals will be inactivated and rendered useless, causing deficiencies in the long run.

On another note: Be careful not to give the eggs to someone suffering from fish or peanut allergy.

 

[clickchicks]

Quite a lot of ingredients, but what I focus on is the Diatomaceous earth in feed 1 and the Bentonit in feed 2.

Both have the property of not only binding and purging/flushing out toxic substances, but also bind and flush out vitamins and minerals as well.

While very useful when administered for some days to detox after symptoms of poisoning or diarrhea, as an ingredient in feed for every day use I would consider both counterproductive, as the added vitamins and minerals will be inactivated and rendered useless, causing deficiencies in the long run.

On another note: Be careful not to give the eggs to someone suffering from fish or peanut allergy.

Yes, aware of the allergen issue.

I hear you on the DE/Bentonite concern but I can all but guarantee there is nowhere near enough present in these foods to have an impact on nutrient absorption. If they do anything at all in a feed. I’m aware it’s a marketing ploy for natural brands... that is what it is, but I trust both of these brands otherwise.

 

[Pandemic pandemonia]

I made some adjustments today. The bully is still sectioned off from the others but I made a few treat toys out of old bottles and got a new, higher protein food to try. Put it the treat bottle for now so they get used to it, so far they like it.

But I'm a little worried. I asked my SO to help get a video of the bullied chicken. The bruising is much more extensive than I first thought, and goes further down below the feathers.

Are we still thinking this is just bruising? It seems like a strange place for another chicken to be able to bruise:

edit:

It could be that the blood is just pooling and traveling under the skin from a bruise in one spot that is smaller too. I'm so glad your getting it all figured out.

 

[clickchicks]

Thank you again to everyone who posted and shared advice.

A good update, since separating out the offending hen the bruising has completely healed and the skin is a healthy pink color.

The naughty hen is still being separated but I'm letting her out for short supervised interaction. She still occasionally wants to peck at the rump of the hen that was pictured, but I snap my fingers and chase her off the moment I see her getting too close. I also scatter lots of garden greens whenever I do this so there is ample distraction. For now she will remained mostly quarantined to see if we can break the behavior.