molting hen(s) need advices pls

[MamaChic21]

I have a white silkie named puffy fuzzy that I've noticed her tail feathers going bold and today I've noticed that it was alittle bit of bloody. I took her with me to the garage and cleaned her out and made a nice warm place for her. Now there is another chicken (bantam) that her middle back's feathers are going bold too. I thought it might of been my black silkie rooster who's trying to mate with them (I have seen him trying to get some action) but all the chickens run away from him. Now could this be a rooster doing this to the 2 chicks ? I have 17 chickens and 4 roosters.
And should I bring the bantam inside the garage along with the white silkie ?
I will post pictured of them tomorrow.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I'm thinking that it's something other than molting as you are seeing bleeding. You may be correct about thinking it is your rooster. Have you also checked for bugs?

 

[MamaChic21]

I did but didn't see any. Do you think I should get bantam in the garage with silkie ?

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I don't have a rooster, so if your question is about getting them away from the rooster, I just don't know. If you are asking due to the temperatures, I'm not sure either. I have two molting right now...well, one is almost done, but the other is a mess...but it hasn't dropped below 40 for a while. Even if it gets colder, I don't plan to bring anyone inside. But, then again, I don't have a garage.

 

[MamaChic21]

Yay Chicks! :

I don't have a rooster, so if your question is about getting them away from the rooster, I just don't know. If you are asking due to the temperatures, I'm not sure either. I have two molting right now...well, one is almost done, but the other is a mess...but it hasn't dropped below 40 for a while. Even if it gets colder, I don't plan to bring anyone inside. But, then again, I don't have a garage.

I have never had molting issues in the past so I don't know for sure that the rooster or the weather is causing it. It's been really cold here in South Jersey and today it snowed 2ft. The same flock has been together for 3 months now and not a single problem up until now. So what has changed other then the weather ? The black Silkie rooster I have is trying to have his ways with the ladies but he comes up empthy at the end

. I also have another rooster(americana) getting active with the other chickens. It could be both or one of them or neither. I just don't know

 

[ranchhand]

Separate the injured hens until they are healed, or the others might do them even more harm You called them chicks? How old are they? Molting is usually not bloody. Check for lice, mites and feather picking while you have them confined.

I suspect it IS your roosters. The normal recommended ratio is at least 10 hens to 1 rooster. You have at least 2 extra roosters. Roosters tend to pick favorite hens for breeding and will really tear feathers out. With 4 roosters to 17 hens, you may have a big problem.

Good luck and stay warm!

 

[MamaChic21]

Quote:
I have no problem with the roosters even they didn't grow up together. We didn't know they were roosters when we got them. There is this one big rooster and everybody knows that he's the king them all Due to almost 3 ft of snow we got where we live, we were so busy clearing out the driveway and the road that we couldn't look to see if she has lice or mites. I will look at her very shortly.

 

[janinepeters]

I've never seen either a molt or an over-zealous rooster cause bloodiness. Is one of them pecking the others? It could be a hen or rooster.

An over enthusiastic rooster usually wears off the feathers of the lower back, and sometimes the shoulders, where he holds on while doing the job. If they are really "chicks" and they are not laying eggs yet, then it overzealous mating is very unlikely. I've noticed that roosters usually seem to "know" when a hen is laying, or about to start laying, and do not bother with them until then.

I've never had silkies, but from what I've read, they are not particularly cold hardy, and might have trouble with your NJ winters without supplemental heat.

 

[MamaChic21]

She never layed an egg, I don't know how old is she but she's pretty fluffy puffy little silkie

She is a sweetheart. I've checked her out and no lice in sight, thank god but what could this be. I will post some pictures later today.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds like someone is pecking feathers.