Lady Macbeth is in my kitchen!

[SandyC]

I posted a few days ago about my Roos and how they were tearing up the backs of some of my chickens, well, I took the worst offender and stuck him alone in jail. THe other Roo is more of a gentleman, but one of my chickens, my favorite, Lady Macbeth, now has a bare area the size of a tangerine on her back. I couldn't leave her out in the coop where the temps are going to go below 0 for the next few nights. She is sitting in a cat carrier in my kitchen. I hate to keep her cooped up, but the run of the kitchen is out. I put a mirror on the end of the cage that seems to keep her amused and the occasional cat that wanders by is always a GREAT diversion. My question is, once she is healed, an I going to be able to put her back into the coop, or is the fact that she is going to be used to warmer temps and have been away from the main flock going to be a problem for her. How do I remedy these things to I can get her back into the main flock ASAP once her back is healed?

Thanks!

 

[Itsme]

Maybe since you've taken the roo away she could stay in the coop with her flock?

I worry about them being cold too but if she is in a shelter and with others to cuddle with she should be ok.

I have some that are molting now.....good grief, seems like a design fault don't it? Dropping all your feathers during the coldest time of year...

........whatever I guess....lol!

I know around here our cold spell is spose to carry on for the next many days.......It would be hard on her I'd think to go back out after spending days in the house......
What about a little jacket of sorts? maybe that would make her (and you too) feel better.
Some material a pair of scissors and some safety pins....ya could probably figure something out.

Good Luck!

 

[silkiechicken]

I think she'll be fine in the coop witha tangerine sized bare patch. Now the roo is gone, and as long as the others don't peck out pin feathers, she should be fine in the coop with the rest. I have a bird undergoing moult... started at the head and is going down to the tail... and she is one bare ugly bird at the moment.... sleeping outside in about 30 deg weather.

 

[SandyC]

Well, we are talking about -10 degree weather or colder and the skin is bare...it looks like it has been all plucked out. I think that other chickens have been pecking on her. I tried making one of those chicken saddles but she didn't seem to do well with it. Do you think she would be OK with that much exposed in that cold weather? I do not heat my coop in any way.

 

[turnerstar31]

hey sandy where in northeren ny are you located? I am in st lawrence county

 

[SandyC]

I'm in upper Jefferson, Co, so most likely were aren't too terribly far away! You would know the weather here and my worry. She is still in the kitchen. I still have the one roo separated from the flock, but the other one is in with them and things do seem much better. Her poor back is so torn up. I am thinking of just throwing in the towel and building her a larger cage and just keeping her in until spring. I know too that I most likely should get rid of the more dominate roo if not both. I never wanted one, but two of my chicks ended that way. I hate the thought of having them culled, but I don't know what else to do. I don't know if I could give them away.

 

[turnerstar31]

well if it is just her back you can make a saddle back thing for her. I know that you can get rid of them around may that is when i am going to get rid of my excess roos. There is a sale in atwerp. Hmm other than that maybe just seperating the bad roo from the rest. You can try putting him in the paper like the pennysaver. Some of my chickens have had bare backs and with this cold weather do better than what you think they just need to be shut in during the night. I don;t think that the chickens have been pecking on her though it is more likely that the roos are mating with her and that often times leads to the bareback.

 

[SandyC]

Antwerp isn't too far from me. Where do I find out about the sale? Is it posted in the Watertown paper?

I tried the saddle thing and she didn't like it. It made her walk really odd. My coop isn't heated at all. Perhaps I can put the saddle on her again and see if she can get used to it.

 

[fivebigreds]

Quote:
The jungle they came from is probablely warm now. For what ever reason they are still molting on jungle time.

 

[SeaChick]

SandyC-

I have the same situation and am wondering the same thing.... except my Rita's bare patch is larger than a tangerine... but its also totally bare naked, no feathers at all. I made her a saddle, and she didn't like it at first, but got used to it. However, since I had to make it longr at the back to cover the bare sides, every single time she "flies" her wings dislodge it and it ends up cocked up above her back, NOT covering the bare area, sheesh!!!

I dunno when to put her back in the coop. She can't just go in with the others, since they're the ones who pecked her bare. I built a little enclosure in there for her which a I assume she'll need to remain in for weeks and weeks till feathers regrow!!!! And since she can't huddle with her buddies, and its so cold, I don't want to put her out right nowMy plan was to wait till nighttime temps were back in the upper teens and then try.

Let us know how it goes-
Stacey