I'm confused 🙃 about something with our first molt.

[HerdAndHome]

My Jubilee Orpington, Butterscotch, (14 mos old) is losing her feathers by the handful. It's crazy. She's eating and drinking fine. Not sure if she's laying. My flock of 8 eats Tucker Milling's NatureCrest 16.5% mini-pellets. They get a couple handfuls of mealworms in the a.m. and a salad or fruit snack in the evenings.
The problem is the Barred Rock, Molly, is now picking at Butterscotch's rump. Molly is pulling feathers from Butterscotch all over, and it seems like Butterscotch is ok with that. But now her rump is bleeding. I have some Rooster Booster Pick-No-More Cover up Poultry Lotion and am wondering if that will help? Do I need to wash her rump too?

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I would up their protein. I feed Tucker Milling chick starter which is 18% and do oyster shell on the side.

 

[rosemarythyme]

No reason to wash her - actually I'd avoid touching her as much as possible as molt can be very irritating to them, and she won't want to be handled.

You can try the Pick-no-more but it does need to be applied fairly frequently, like twice a day if the picking issue is persistent. Also it does stain so I'd suggest gloving up.

 

[HerdAndHome]

* update * I have pics but will start with a humorous meme so you're prepared for the grossness that follows.
I've upped the protein with a 20% chick starter since my 8 new chicks hatched and are in the mail today. I also supplement with mealworms, black oil sunflower seed and occasionally a piece of chicken finely chopped. Or a little FreshPet dog food. I'm not overdoing it, just a little at a time throughout the day.
I've used the Pick-No-More with good result insofar as the scab has healed up pretty well. I put a little on my fingers and sort of smeared it in the lower beaks of the chickens that were pecking her the worst. It gave them a taste of it and hopefully it taught them by association.
Now, what I don't understand is, which comes first, the vane or the quill? Butterscotch's neck, etc... feather growth is good and not disturbed. They're about 1/4" long. The growth on her butt though is not but little dots on some places, small feather starts in others. Are the chickens pulling out the beginnings of the quills on her butt skin? Or the tips of the vanes? Does the growth peocess begin again once the new growth is plucked? Is her butt so bad she requires isolation? I've tried it with her a couple of times and she gets SO stressed out. I'll reapply the Pick-No-More tonight.
I appreciate any guidance.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The growth on her butt though is not but little dots on some places, small feather starts in others. Are the chickens pulling out the beginnings of the quills on her butt skin? Or the tips of the vanes? Does the growth peocess begin again once the new growth is plucked?

They might be still picking at it as the quills start coming out, long enough to grab, because it's become a habit. She'll probably keep trying to regrow those for a while, but if they keep getting picked out at some point her body will decide "that's enough" and quit feathering in that spot for the season.

I would continue with the Pick-no-more since it's at least letting her heal up. Might consider trying pinless peepers on the worst offenders, or you may have to live with the fact that she'll have a bare bottom for the next year. It shouldn't bother her at all (I also have a bare bottomed bird) as long as the picking never escalates to drawing blood again.

 

[K0k0shka]

It's good that you've switched to a 20% feed. You can keep them on it indefinitely, with calcium on the side (crushed eggshell or oyster shell). 16.5% is way too low and can lead to feather picking and eating. Most layer feeds skimp on the protein because they were meant to be cheap and efficient enough for commercial layers to lay for 1-2 years, wear themselves out and be replaced. It's not a good long term feed if you want a healthy flock that will live a long life. That's why commercial laying hens tend to look so ragged, like they're in a perpetual molt - because their bodies are being wrung out by maximum output with minimal input.