I need some help! *pictures added*

[TubbyChicken]

I'm not sure where else to post this...(Mods, if there is a better place for this then please move it!)

I contacted someone on Craigslist about some Salmon Faverolles and BLRW he sent me a picture this evening and the BLWR pullets seem to be in good shape and appear to ne young and healthy (as best I can tell from a grainy picture)...

but the SF were in a run with a BLRW Roo who appeared to be mounting one bird (not a SF) and they (including what looked to be a roo were all severely pecked of their back and tail feathers, including some around their neck. You can see completely bare skin...I would post the pics but am not sure if that would be ethical on a public forum since they were emailed to me but I would be comfortable emailing them to anyone who asks if it would help.

Is this normal? Doesn't this indicate some serious pecking issues? Should I forget taking any of his birds and is it normal to ask a high price for birds in this condition (who are possibly laying fertilized eggs from a different breed Roo?)

 

[arlee453]

Sounds like he either has a very aggressive rooster OR too few hens for the rooster, or a combination of both.

Some feather loss from time to time happens, but if it is chronic and all his birds are like that, personally that would raise a red flag for me as far as his husbandry practices.

Of course, there are other possiblilities...it could be molting season. Or (worse yet...) it may be some sort of illness or pest infestation...but given that you see the rooster in there, it's most likely the rooster issue.

Personally, I'd ask, very innocently, "I noticed that a lot of those chickens in the picture were missing feathers. Why does that happen?" and see what he says. Give him a chance to explain what's going on, and then decide if it's worth going down to look at the birds.

 

[TubbyChicken]

OK...I changed my mind. There isn't anything associating this person with the pictures and for all I know this is perfectly normal.

Is it normal or possible for a Roo to cause this much damage?l Or does it look like pecking?

 

[lurky]

I think you will have to trust your gut feeling. I have a handful of birds that are moulting now. If you saw them, you would probably feel the same way about them.......but i have never had a sick bird. They look so terrible i cant even believe it. So i am just suggesting another reason for their appearance. I personally would come right out and tell him my concern and see what he had to say

but thats just me

 

[TubbyChicken]

ok...it doesn't even look a fraction as bad when I resized it.

What are some of the other birds in the pics?

 

[arlee453]

Yep...looks like Roo damage to me. Those girls need aprons/saddles or some time away from that rooster!

That's the classic pattern of missing feathers from being pulled out from the rooster mouting the hens and 'treading' with their feet along with grabbing them by the neck during breeding. If he keeps his birds penned up together, there just isn't anywhere to escape from an overly amourous rooster.

I will say his setup looks very clean and neat. Water bowls are not only fresh, clean water, but bowls themselves are clean too. There's evidence of fresh foods (watermelon) and also feed in the troughs/bowls. No calcified poop stalagmites either.

Any other opinions...?

 

[TubbyChicken]

here is the actual size...

 

[TubbyChicken]

Is that a Rooster beside the other roo? Is it normal for Roos to do that to each other? How long would I have to would the eggs be fertilized if I took one of the hens from that pen?

 

[Dar]

I am glad you posted these....but for a different reason...

if that is what a clean house looks like then i am fine with my girls...i was strting to worry that if i was not keeping them super clean then they would get sick so i have been changing all of my bedding 3X a week and running the waterers through the wash every other day with a complete rince everyday...so now i am thinking i am overcleaning my coop making a lot more work for me...

 

[TubbyChicken]

Thank you for the response! I really appreciate having some experience. I really wanted both the SF and the BLRW and was disappointed to think I'd have to lose out on these birds...

What are some of the other breeds pictured here? (I recognize a silkie, the BLRW, the SF) but there are several others that I'm not familiar with...