Info on plucked chickens

[SevenChix4Me]

I have 4 cute little eight week old barred rock hens and didn't expect to bring home any additional chickens. I decided to buy four more nine month old hens because I was told they are already laying. I don't know what breed they are but they are a mottled light brown and lay green eggs. They are all now together in a 20 foot by 12 foot pen and seem to be doing very well. I was worried they would hurt or harrass my barred rocks but they seem fine together. The person I got them from had WAY too many chickens crammed into a small tractor. They said they were selling a bunch because they were overcrowded. They free-range the chickens in a tractor. They don't seem social like my four girls who have been handled daily from the time we got them. Also the new girls are missing a lot of feathers on their back and butt from the other chickens pecking them. The feathers they still have are also pretty raggedy looking. When I saw them next to my healthy, fully feathered, calm and docile little girls I realized just how sad and shabby these new girls look. How long will it take them to grow back the down and feathers that have been plucked? I put ivermec in the water to treat internal and external parasites. Is there anything else I can do to help them flourish? They look so sad.

 

[TwoCrows]

They may be full of mites also. So you need to dust your birds with Sevin and then repeat again in a week. Check the legs for mites too and use vasiline on the legs to kill the scale mites. If it is a case of just too many chickens pulling feathers out, a good molt can take 6 weeks to regrow all the feathers.

I would quaratine the new birds from your flock for a few weeks to make sure they do not endanger your birds with diseases they may be carrying. The new chickens may be hiding some illness that your birds are not immune to and could kill the flock.

Get them on a good diet, lots of sunshine and give them time to adjust to the new surroundings. Good luck with your new flock!

 

[SevenChix4Me]

Thank you! Can I get the sevin at Tractor Supply?
I was under the impression that the ivermect also kills mites.

 

[TwoCrows]

You can get Sevin at most garden stores.