Just curious!

[Linda V]

In July 2016, we bought two pullet Barred Rocks, however, they look so different from one another even now, we are curious if one may have something wrong with her.

The hen in my profile pic is Abigail. She has a "full figure" and lays
eggs that are dark brown with thick shells that are also "round" like she is...lol!

Henrietta is now tall, lean, missing all her butt feathers, under the tail, but skin looks fine. Her eggs are light colored and elongated. Shells mostly okay but not like Abby's!

Her coloring is no longer the same as Abby's either, so we would like to know what may be wrong with her...we are not even sure there is anything wrong with her, but she no longer looks the same as when we first got her in July of 2016.

Btw...they both get along great and love being together!!

Her appetite, activity level, interest in eating, drinking, etc., is identical in every way to Abigail's, so we are not sure what to think any more!

Thanks everyone!
LindaV 6/2017

Here are the pics. Hope they help! The girls will be 1-yr old next month and we got them together. Neither has molted yet.

I guess Henrietta is picking tiny bugs off Abigail's face? They do this a lot and both seem to enjoy it!

 

[Kiki]

Pictures?

 

[The Angry Hen]

Could she be a Dominique instead of a barred rock?
After you post the pictures, we might know!

-The Angry Hen

 

[Linda V]

Thanks, but no, they are identical in every way except for one being tall & thin with a black patch on her back. I've got pics ready to load and send....nothing like doing this backwards....

 

[The Angry Hen]

Your welcome! Okay!

-The Angry Hen

 

[Linda V]

We couldn't tell them apart the first few months other than H had a black patch on her back...but now...omg! It's disconcerting to us but they both act, happy, hungry and have a paradise to live in!

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm guessing that Henrietta is simply an inferior bird. I might question if there is an issue with mites, perhaps even microscopic mites that live in the feather shafts. I also ? the "picking bugs off each other's faces" I've never seen any bugs on my bird's faces, or any other part of their bodies, for that matter. One of the pics of Abigail's feet looked like her scales are rough and raised. I'm not sure if that is truly what I was seeing. But you might do a thread search for scaly leg mites. Treatment for that is super easy. Any oil will smother the mites if they are present. Also, do a thorough coop inspection and inspection of H for mites/lice.

 

[Linda V]

Gee...that sounds pretty bad. I have used Chicken/fowl/poultry-grade DE in the sand in their coop, roosting drawer and in summers - their sand nests. In winter, of course, they use the Tractor Supply brand of wood shavings for their nests.

I haven't observed any serious itch/scratch issues with either of them so this comes as a surprise...especially since they have a strong bond with one another and, as you saw, Abigail looks like a Xmas turkey! They both get a lot of yard greens (chem free), small amts of seedless grapes, water & either crumbles or pellets - they love both, so I doubt Abby is "fat!" They both lay pretty nice eggs, but Abby's is always better to some degree.

They are not "hand raised" so trying to get too close to them is a nightmare and stresses them out like they are going to be killed. They trust me but even so...I dare not try to reach out too far...lol!

Thanks for your opinion and advice....I shall look into it for sure! Here's how they looked the week we got them! Hard to tell them apart!

Back later with results & thanks for your time on this...and I doubt you're a "lazy" anything...lol!

Linda in NC

 

[Kiki]

I have used Chicken/fowl/poultry-grade DE in the sand in their coop, roosting drawer and in summers - their sand nests.


DE does not prevent or actually kill bugs on them or their bedding/coop.

 

[Linda V]

Yes, that's true. But some people can treat their chickens with DE if they are able to pick them up! I'm not one of them, however. Btw...I have studied very carefully her skin around all those bald areas...and none of them look anything like those nasty pics of hen's with ticks, mites, etc., Her skin is just bald....that's it. She laid a super nice egg yesterday, it surprised me! I'll get some coop spray this weekend for ticks/mites, etc., and put it in their sand nests, sandy bottom of their coop, etc., too.

Thanks again!