JeffandLori
Songster
I have four hens, no roosters. They are approximately one year old. They are in a tractor that until recently I moved every day. I've given up on that due to one of the hens would always dig a hole to lay in. I was having an issue with dirt getting tracked on the eggs and was suggested to put some straw down. As they had just gotten to the point where it was all dirt, that seemed logical.
However, when doing that, I noticed one of them is losing all her feathers around her vent and even some of the tail feathers. It also looked like another was starting to get that way but is not nearly as progressed. It doesn't look like a prolapsed vent (but I wouldn't really know).
Spirits among all seem good. There is no difference in disposition of any of the birds. They are all very active and lay one egg per bird per day, almost without fail. I had the first "miss" about a week ago. There was only two eggs, but that was during a cold(for Florida) spell of about five days with evenings in the mid 40s and days in the mid-high 60s.
I do not see any evidence of mites or any other bugs in their night-time coop area.
Thank you in advance.
However, when doing that, I noticed one of them is losing all her feathers around her vent and even some of the tail feathers. It also looked like another was starting to get that way but is not nearly as progressed. It doesn't look like a prolapsed vent (but I wouldn't really know).
Spirits among all seem good. There is no difference in disposition of any of the birds. They are all very active and lay one egg per bird per day, almost without fail. I had the first "miss" about a week ago. There was only two eggs, but that was during a cold(for Florida) spell of about five days with evenings in the mid 40s and days in the mid-high 60s.
I do not see any evidence of mites or any other bugs in their night-time coop area.
Thank you in advance.
