Molting chicken?

[eleaserek]

It sounds to me like she may be molting some, but that at least some of it is being lowest in the pecking order and being a little over crowded. Broken off feathers are definitely from the other girls grabbing at her.
If you can, get a helper and get her after dark off the roost. Your helper can hold a flash light and you can inspect her better. They are much more docile after dark! good luck!

 

[ShrekDawg]

It sounds to me like she may be molting some, but that at least some of it is being lowest in the pecking order and being a little over crowded. Broken off feathers are definitely from the other girls grabbing at her.
If you can, get a helper and get her after dark off the roost. Your helper can hold a flash light and you can inspect her better. They are much more docile after dark! good luck!

Thanks for the help! I'll try that!

So is there anything I should put on her or should I pull the broken feathers or anything or just leave it?

And besides getting the new coop done as fast as possible is there anything else I can do now?

 

[eleaserek]

Thanks for the help! I'll try that!

So is there anything I should put on her or should I pull the broken feathers or anything or just leave it?

And besides getting the new coop done as fast as possible is there anything else I can do now?

Just leave the broken feathers, they will molt out and be replaced in time.
What are they eating? If they are indeed starting to molt, more protein will help the process go smoother. Both a grower or an all flock feed are good choices.
As far as space, while you are building their new coop, can they have run of the yard, at least for a little but each day? That'll help give the lower ranking girls some space to get away from the top hens.
Sounds like you're on the right track!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Just leave the broken feathers, they will molt out and be replaced in time.
What are they eating? If they are indeed starting to molt, more protein will help the process go smoother. Both a grower or an all flock feed are good choices.
As far as space, while you are building their new coop, can they have run of the yard, at least for a little but each day? That'll help give the lower ranking girls some space to get away from the top hens.
Sounds like you're on the right track!

Thanks for all the help! I'll just leave the feathers then.

They are eating Nutrena Naturewise Hearty Hen layer pellets. I chose it instead of their other layer feeds because I happened to find it at our feed store, only higher protein layer I could find here. I had heard the extra protein was good/needed if they get a lot of treats or free range, which they were at the time, since both those lower the overall protein a little bit. Of course they haven't been getting many treats or free ranging lately so maybe not necessary now but I figure it's still good.

It has 18% protein instead of the normal 16%.

It's this

http://m.nutrenaworld.com/products/poultry/naturewise-poultry/hearty-hen-layer-feed/index.jsp

I thought of switching to Feather Fixer for a bit and still might but I just realized that it has the same amount of protein as their current feed. Maybe I'll try one of the other ones you suggested to get it up even more.

http://m.nutrenaworld.com/products/poultry/naturewise-poultry/feather-fixer/index.htm

As for going into the yard, lately I've bene starting to let them out again. Not very often or for long, just for an hour or two before they go to bed. They seem to enjoy it.

Although today I let them out all the way from like 3:30 until around 7ish, 7:30, when they amble to bed aha

They seemed to enjoy the extra time out.

I might start letting them out every day again.

 

[eleaserek]

I am super jealous of that feed! I wonder if I could wrangle my feed store into ordering it for me...

I think that is probably just fine! i feed the all flock of the same brand with oyster shell on the side, but I like that yours soy free too!

If anything you could just occasionally give them protein rich treats like mealworms, and you'll be good to go.

I think even just a couple hours a day in the yard will help some, give them all a chance to get away from each other

 

[ShrekDawg]

I am super jealous of that feed! I wonder if I could wrangle my feed store into ordering it for me...

I think that is probably just fine! i feed the all flock of the same brand with oyster shell on the side, but I like that yours soy free too!

If anything you could just occasionally give them protein rich treats like mealworms, and you'll be good to go.

I think even just a couple hours a day in the yard will help some, give them all a chance to get away from each other

I think they had just started carrying it when I found it!

We have a TSC here, which had their other layer feeds and chick starter but mostly Purina, and our local place, Morrison's, an Agway. They used to mostly carry Agway brand feeds but were in the process of switching over to Nutrena around when my girls started laying so it worked out really well lol I was planning on feeding Nutrena anyway but was gonna go with their other layer feeds or back to chick starter/grower till I found this. It's really a great feed for the price! I think it's only like $14 at ours or something. I wanted them to be healthy without spending big bucks on the super organic whole grain stuff haha

I wanted to try All Flock but like I said the TSC was mostly Purina so had Flock Raiser instead and I'm not sure if our store carries it now or not, I haven't bothered looking for another feed since I found this. Mine get oyster shell too and seem to be doing well. And yeah, the soy free is definitely nice!

I'm going to have to try mealworms, I know they like mealworm & oat party mix but not sure that's the healthiest or much protein lol

And yeah, that's true. I'm sure I'd probably go crazy too if I was locked in a house with my family 24/7, 365 LOL

 

[ShrekDawg]

Today I saw May (the Barred Rock) chase an Orpington for seemingly no reason, there wasn't any food or anything near, she squawked, of course, and I saw May had pulled out a feather. And last night when they were trying to roost May and Bunny had flown on the roof (they've been roostinf outside lately) and may was just pecking/chasing for no reason. I pushed May away a couple times and then by the third time when poor Bunny fell off the roof and May was standing there like she owned the place, I decided to push May off the roof, for a taste of her own medicine. But not before I said "quit being such a *****, May" and pushed her off you could tell she was a little bit embarrassed. It seemed to work.

But anyway, I may just have to come to terms with the fact that May is a bully, even more so than the Australorps :/ but she's very friendly to me (although she doesn't let me pick her up. But she's social, smart, seems to know her name, even seems to look out for the others sometimes) and they're pets so I don't want to cull. I know some will say she's stressing the flock out or I have to or whatever and I get that but she doesn't seem to be as bad when they're free ranging and even let them eat treats she wasn't interested in yesterday plus I don't remember her being a bully before so my hope is that when I get the new, bigger, coop and run built and/start free ranging her more, that her bullying will stop or slow down or the others will at least be able to get away from her?

 

[junebuggena]

Today I saw May (the Barred Rock) chase an Orpington for seemingly no reason, there wasn't any food or anything near, she squawked, of course, and I saw May had pulled out a feather. And last night when they were trying to roost May and Bunny had flown on the roof (they've been roostinf outside lately) and may was just pecking/chasing for no reason. I pushed May away a couple times and then by the third time when poor Bunny fell off the roof and May was standing there like she owned the place, I decided to push May off the roof, for a taste of her own medicine. But not before I said "quit being such a *****, May" and pushed her off

you could tell she was a little bit embarrassed. It seemed to work.

But anyway, I may just have to come to terms with the fact that May is a bully, even more so than the Australorps

but she's very friendly to me (although she doesn't let me pick her up. But she's social, smart, seems to know her name, even seems to look out for the others sometimes) and they're pets so I don't want to cull. I know some will say she's stressing the flock out or I have to or whatever and I get that but she doesn't seem to be as bad when they're free ranging and even let them eat treats she wasn't interested in yesterday plus I don't remember her being a bully before so my hope is that when I get the new, bigger, coop and run built and/start free ranging her more, that her bullying will stop or slow down or the others will at least be able to get away from her?

More space. Rocks need room. They are inquisitive birds that need things to do. In small runs, they get bored and can be trouble makers.

 

[ShrekDawg]

More space. Rocks need room. They are inquisitive birds that need things to do. In small runs, they get bored and can be trouble makers.

Hm, I hadn't realized that Rocks in particular could get bored more easily but it makes sense because imo she's one of my smartest birds so not being able to use her brains must be frustrating. I guess I need to get the new run finished? But maybe I can give her something to do in the current run? I gotta think of something more long term though cause they get pretty bored of new dirt or veggies fast or they don't last long. Maybe some more perches or a swing or something? I had read they could be bullies but hadn't realized it could be boredom. So theoretically if I make them less bored they won't pick on each other?

 

[carlf]

Its not called a pecking order for no reason, and she;s on the bottom.
More room and free-ranging when you can will help.