Horizontal lines on tail feathers.

[Annie1111]

I have a rescue hen. It was one of 3 that I rescued several years ago. That others have passed on with one remaining. With unseasonably warm weather where we live she molted late this year and is still showing signs of molt with some pin feathers around the neck and some feather sheath dust. Its finally dropped in temp here and to a really bitter low single digits so I brought her in to be more comfortable while the cold snap is happening. She got a spa bath today and when I was blowdrying her I noticed her tail feathers are some what ragged and they had these distinct horizontal lines in them? is this a sign of something in particular?

 

[casportpony]

i have seen this before on a bird given high doses of medication
but i cant remember what....
i wonder if it was @casportpony or @Ravynscroft that was also on that thread

Fret marks. Can be caused by stress, feed issues, and wormers like Safeguard and Valbazen.

 

[casportpony]

"3/ fenbendazole- a useful drug, has the disadvantage that it and other drugs in the same group cannot be used during moulting otherwise a ‘fret mark’ will form in the feathers that were growing at the time of treatment."
Source: http://www.auspigeonco.com.au/Articles/Race_Form_Part3.html

 

[Ravynscroft]

Fret marks. Can be caused by stress, feed issues, and wormers like Safeguard and Valbazen.

"3/ fenbendazole- a useful drug, has the disadvantage that it and other drugs in the same group cannot be used during moulting otherwise a ‘fret mark’ will form in the feathers that were growing at the time of treatment."
Source: http://www.auspigeonco.com.au/Articles/Race_Form_Part3.html

X2 all that, lol...

Fret marks are just visual marring... shredded, ragged, chewed on feathers *can* lead to temp regulation issues, especially when it is cold...

 

[Ravynscroft]

Medications are just one cause of fret lines... stress when molting can do it and also it could be genetic...

 

[lazy gardener]

The horizontal lines you are seeing are an indication of interruption of nutrient flow during the feather growth phase. The tattering at the end of the feathers would most likely be due to the bird perhaps being crowded on the roost. Is it possible that her tail feathers can touch the back wall behind the roost? If the birds are pig piling, or perhaps spending extra time in a nest box, perhaps one that is on the small side, that might also cause the tail feather tattering. If you can get extra protein into these birds, that will be beneficial.

 

[lazy gardener]

How appropriate for the term! Fret marks. Hubby is a guitarist. He'll love that one!

 

[drumstick diva]

No fret lines in my tail but, boy do I have them around my eyes. Think I should stop watching the news stations.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

i have seen this before on a bird given high doses of medication
but i cant remember what....
i wonder if it was @casportpony or @Ravynscroft that was also on that thread

 

[Annie1111]

Weird. She is and has not been on any medications. And as stated above in the original post is currently a lonely hen. Though I have her coop super amped up with lots of straw at the moment because its crazy cold here so yeah her tail is probably getting caught up in the back of the roost. The fret lines... Interesting. I fed her a steady diet of an organic layer crumble, as well as some regular scrambled eggs every other day during molting. I also do this when its extra cold. The organic layer crumble is new. Maybe i should go back to my old feed I always used. Thanks for the help everyone!