Hens look terrible!

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

This winter has done bad things to my hens! They look terrible! They are all picking feathers. Theirs, their buddy's, doesn't matter! They pick and eat them! UGH! My cochin has a bare neck because she gets pecked. Her skin looks great but she has to be cold! They are not packed into their coop but they do NOT want to go outside as it's been in the negative over here I guess I can't blame them. It actually got up to 18 and they came outside for the first time in two weeks! Is there anything I can do to cheer them up? They have heat and light and I keep their pop door open even though they don't use it. What else can I do!? They were SO nice looking right before winter got here

Now they are all looking like they are young again. They don't have lice or bugs...I checked for that too. No cold or sicknesses either...they all seem just fine.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I prob should add that there is a dozen standard sized chickens in an 8X8 coop so it's not that they are overcrowded even...that would at least be easy to fix.

 

[Fowl-Language]

Mine look bad, too. Nobody's sick; they've been staying in their coop due to the weather which seems to have given them short tempers, and I've noticed some feather snatching. They were looking a little scruffy prior to that too, so I think it's just the season.

 

[krcote]

Try giving them something to do! I throw cracked corn into the shavings, hang cabbage heads, put meat scraps in suet holders, etc... anything to keep their little beaks busy and off their neighbors!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Thanks for the ideas! I'm going to try ALL of them to see if they can keep themselves busy. They are used to freeranging every day so this is prob stressful on them and they are BORED! I'm glad that this is not abnormal though! WHEW! I thought I had a bunch of nincompo*ps!

 

[luvmygirlsinAK]

I would recommend red lights, if you don't have any, and higher protein.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Yup have red lights...Maybe I should start feeding them scrambled eggs in the morning? Would that work for extra protein?

 

[silkiechicken]

Yep, eggs would work for extra protein. I would hard boil thugh, so less extra frying involved. A bit of cat food would also work. I have a nearly naked hen at the moment since she is a heavy moulter.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Could they possibly be moulting? They are about 8 months old. Or is that to young?

 

[silkiechicken]

about 8 months is their first light moult.