- Nov 26, 2011
- 57
- 2
- 48
Hi all. I have a one and a half year old RR who has not yet molted and my fingers are crossed that this is what is happening, but I have a feeling it isn't.
It doesn't show up well in this photo but you can see how she has thinning patches. Her leg feathers also seem paler and she has a small bald patch on her rear and chest. Her behavior is normal, this photo is slightly over exposed, but her comb is a nice healthy red. She has been laying normally. She doesn't have scabs or outward signs of injury and as she is one of the more dominant hens, I think it's unlikely that she is being picked. No feathers are present in the coop or run. None of the other hens are showing signs of this.
I tried a deep litter experiment this winter and since then I have been paranoid that the birds have mites/lice because I wasn't pleased with how it worked for me. I haven't seen mites or lice, but they seem pretty small, so I'm not sure I would recognize them if I saw them. I dusted the coop and birds with sevin dust several months ago. My plan is to wait until DH gets home friday and do it again, all at once and repeat in two weeks. Is there anything else I can do? Does this seem like it will solve the issue? We are moving July 1st and I have found a good home for the ladies, I really want to send them in the best condition that I can. I'm not overly concerned with being able to eat eggs at this point, I just want them to get better so that I don't spread an issue to a new owner so if there is something more powerful that will solve the problem I am open to it.
I have a few hens that I have trouble catching on my own, which is why I am waiting for DH. This hen is fairly tame, so I could get her and dust her by herself and do the coop if that might work. Do you advise I wait and do it right, or is it good enough to get her and the coop and run so I can do it in the next couple of days? Or am I even on the right track at all? I added black oil sun flower seeds today, on the off chance this is a protein deficiency, but I'd rather be overly cautious in this case.
Any advice is appreciated.
It doesn't show up well in this photo but you can see how she has thinning patches. Her leg feathers also seem paler and she has a small bald patch on her rear and chest. Her behavior is normal, this photo is slightly over exposed, but her comb is a nice healthy red. She has been laying normally. She doesn't have scabs or outward signs of injury and as she is one of the more dominant hens, I think it's unlikely that she is being picked. No feathers are present in the coop or run. None of the other hens are showing signs of this.
I tried a deep litter experiment this winter and since then I have been paranoid that the birds have mites/lice because I wasn't pleased with how it worked for me. I haven't seen mites or lice, but they seem pretty small, so I'm not sure I would recognize them if I saw them. I dusted the coop and birds with sevin dust several months ago. My plan is to wait until DH gets home friday and do it again, all at once and repeat in two weeks. Is there anything else I can do? Does this seem like it will solve the issue? We are moving July 1st and I have found a good home for the ladies, I really want to send them in the best condition that I can. I'm not overly concerned with being able to eat eggs at this point, I just want them to get better so that I don't spread an issue to a new owner so if there is something more powerful that will solve the problem I am open to it.
I have a few hens that I have trouble catching on my own, which is why I am waiting for DH. This hen is fairly tame, so I could get her and dust her by herself and do the coop if that might work. Do you advise I wait and do it right, or is it good enough to get her and the coop and run so I can do it in the next couple of days? Or am I even on the right track at all? I added black oil sun flower seeds today, on the off chance this is a protein deficiency, but I'd rather be overly cautious in this case.
Any advice is appreciated.
