Minnesota!

[Cluckies]

So one of my girls is molting, terrible. But today there was blood on some stubbs on her tail, looking it up it looks like it may be "blood feathers", I cleaned it off (gave her a bath and blew dried her) during all this the bleeding stopped and has not started again. All I read says I should pull the blood feathers Do I still need to pull them if they are no longer bleeding? I put blukote on her after her bath and now would have a hard time telling which one/ones was bleeding? Also, since she is losing so many feathers, should I still keep her in the unheated hen house? she is in a cage in my front room at the moment, was going to take her back out in a while, just wanted to make sure she was dry.

 

[Minniechickmama]

The blood feathers will grow back, in the meantime, don't pluck, let them grow.
Yes, spray with BluKote, then leave them alone. The biggest thing I would worry about is other birds pecking a them and then starting a frenzy. I have some hens molting now too. If you can keep them in a pen where they are out of the elements, that is likely best, but I have had Silkies molt when it is 0˚ with no heat, no additional pampering and the coop open to the south. If there other birds they can huddle with for warm, they should do fine. Give them a little added protein to help stimulate feather growth though, and maybe some vitamins and electrolytes would be good too.
If you give her heat now, it will be a bigger adjustment for her when you put her out without it again later.

Just my two cents. I am sure some will give you different advice. I have outdoor chicken in molt and they are running around just like everyone else in the group. They go in an open coop when they want, but the run around and keep themselves busy in the sun.

 

[Cluckies]

Well, I put her back out there with the others. Hopefully she is fine when I get home. I sprayed more blukote on this morning when I got up. I won't be able to check on them until I get home from work, I just pray everything is ok out there while i'm gone.

 

[Chickenchick11]

I've got a White Rock and a RIR molting right now. The WR was molting so bad for about 2-3 months that she got the nickname Baldie, LOL. She's almost fully feathered now which is a relief, because now I don't have to worry about her freezing to death.

 

[jbenson]

I have a hen who has a horrible nervous habit of pulling out her own back and tail feathers. I thought it was mostly other birds, but then I saw her doing it. When she molted this fall I got excited when her feathers were growing back in. Recently, she is without tail and back feathers again. . I wish I could get her to stop, but it is a losing battle. She runs with everyone else and could not care less about the cold.

 

[Cluckies]

Have you tried a hen saddle on her?

 

[cmom]

I have a hen who has a horrible nervous habit of pulling out her own back and tail feathers. I thought it was mostly other birds, but then I saw her doing it. When she molted this fall I got excited when her feathers were growing back in. Recently, she is without tail and back feathers again.

. I wish I could get her to stop, but it is a losing battle. She runs with everyone else and could not care less about the cold.

Have you tried a hen saddle on her?

I have used saddles in the past and they worked well. I also put blu-kote on one girl who was pretty bare. It worked and her feathers came back in beautiful. Of course she was blue until her next molt. For whatever reason she quit pulling out her own feathers.

 

[Cluckies]

This wetness is killing me. I exchanged all their pine shavings last week, now with all the humidity, rain, snow, rain, fog. cripes! Now I have to decide if I need to do it again. I think I probably should, but is it going to get warm and rainy again? argghhhh. Are my chickens going to get sick?

 

[Dandelioness]

I feel the same way, Cluckies. I use leaves, though, so I can just toss them out the coop door. I did not "refill" my deep litter. I've been waiting for the weather to stay below freezing to start adding more. That sweet PDZ stuff has been helpful, but I am just ready for snow and freezing temps already! Mud season is bad enough once a year!

 

[Minniechickmama]

This wetness is killing me. I exchanged all their pine shavings last week, now with all the humidity, rain, snow, rain, fog. cripes! Now I have to decide if I need to do it again. I think I probably should, but is it going to get warm and rainy again? argghhhh. Are my chickens going to get sick?

I think we have all been battling that. I starting cleaning out pens this week. I have more to go, but I will get to them tomorrow, I hope. I did scrape sloppy poop areas a bit where it was just getting to be too much out along the outside runs. I hate this inbetween snow and being warm. We woke up to about 3" of new snow though, and seem to be the only ones how got this much. I went to Red Wing this morning and they had just a light covering that was melting off. Then I went to Rochester tonight and it was the same way, if there was any. There are still a couple of inches of sloppy snow out there tonight. Blech!!!! BUT we have to be careful what we say, look at the forecast for next week. Yikes!!!!

You all have a wonderful Holiday!!!!