How close am I on my guesses?

[divegeeky]

Hello,

First time poster here, but long time forum visitor. I started raising chickens primarily because of this site, and I am still very new to it. It is the most rewarding hobby I have ever had, and I will never go back.

So these are my ladies, 11 Hens.

My guesses are:
2 X White Leghorns, couldn't get a picture of the second she is a little too fast for the camera settings.

2x Australorps, not completely sure since the pictures online have a different looking comb. But, they are completely black the photos look a little brown but these girls are all black.





2x Plymouth Rocks, I know one of my girls is bald I am using some of the aloe lotion to discourage the other hens from pecking at her.





1x Buff Orpington





1x Speckled Sussex



1x Sicilian Buttercup



1x Ameraucana



1x I just can't tell she looks like a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire red.



I did not raise any of these girls from chicks, I got them with the coop from Craigslist. I plan on building another coop, I have two already, and getting a couple more girls in March.

 

[donrae]

I'd say you're pretty much right on!

The ameraucana is really an easter egger, and with a mostly straight comb you may not get green/blue eggs from her.

Your red hen is likely a production red, basically a generic red layer. Not a New Hamp, not quite a Rhode Island Red, but nice birds that lay like crazy.

Have you checked that bald bird for mites? That looks pretty extreme to me. I'd isolate her from the other birds and see if her feathers grow back.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

Have you checked that bald bird for mites? That looks pretty extreme to me. I'd isolate her from the other birds and see if her feathers grow back.

x2

I've seen picking and that looks like more than just picking to me. *shrugz* Of course, hens can be brutal!

 

[divegeeky]

Actually I dusted the whole flock this weekend there were a significant amount of mites on quite a few of them, so a thorough dusting of the coop and each girl was in order. I had a feeling that when I got the birds there was some sort of parasite that was affecting them since some of their feather shafts appeared brittle and hard. So I am monitoring the flock for changes in behavior and bi-weekly dusting will be in order for awhile. So far none of the girls were lethargic or not eating, which was my main concern so I will continue to monitor them. I noticed that after dusting them the next day they all appeared a little more spry, but I will see if that continues and will monitor the mites on them. I know they prefer the vent area and I was gracious with the dusting there, although a friend let me know a method of using a pillowcase to make dusting easier and keep it off the head. So far so good, I really hope her feathers start coming back in because the Rocks are such a beautiful breed.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

Sounds like you caught it in time if it hasn't started wearing them out yet. Mites can be so hard to fight though, so I wish you much luck!

 

[hdowden]

if they came with the birds then its not mites but lice. mites do not live on the birds and can only be found at night while lice can be seen at anytime and the more you see the worse it is (such asif you see 5 you can expect around 2,000+ and this can be per bird and usually is one of the reasons they can kill so fast.

we dip as dusting no matter how often seems pointless. as it looked to not even have any sort of an effect on the pest

 

[divegeeky]

What type of dip do you use?