- Feb 19, 2014
- 44
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Anyone got some advice on molting in spring ?
I am new to this game. My first batch of chicks ever = 8 naked neck girls and 1 boy delivered as month old chicks in August last year. I was wanting to have a go at breeding, but all but two of my girls are molting really heavily. One of the ones that isn't molting is OBSESSED with feather eating and has homed in on one very sad looking girl with hardly any feathers left and a spur injury. The feather eater is for the pot, I'm afraid. The other one is broody but we will be going away for a week next week and I don't want to make more work for my chicken sitters. Yes, I am giving them protein rich treats, wild bird seeds, some of our almond crop, milk powder & oatmeal mush, the occasional hard boiled chopped egg, occasionally mealworms from our small mealworm farm. Yes, I have checked, and am checking for infestations and they have a dust bath frequently.
My questions are : 1) is this likely to happen every year now ie molting in spring ? 2) is there anything I can do about it and should I be worried as I am wanting to breed ? 3) is my broody likely to go broody again later in the year ?
Any ideas are welcome. I love my birdies and am doing everything I can to give them a good life.
I am new to this game. My first batch of chicks ever = 8 naked neck girls and 1 boy delivered as month old chicks in August last year. I was wanting to have a go at breeding, but all but two of my girls are molting really heavily. One of the ones that isn't molting is OBSESSED with feather eating and has homed in on one very sad looking girl with hardly any feathers left and a spur injury. The feather eater is for the pot, I'm afraid. The other one is broody but we will be going away for a week next week and I don't want to make more work for my chicken sitters. Yes, I am giving them protein rich treats, wild bird seeds, some of our almond crop, milk powder & oatmeal mush, the occasional hard boiled chopped egg, occasionally mealworms from our small mealworm farm. Yes, I have checked, and am checking for infestations and they have a dust bath frequently.
My questions are : 1) is this likely to happen every year now ie molting in spring ? 2) is there anything I can do about it and should I be worried as I am wanting to breed ? 3) is my broody likely to go broody again later in the year ?
Any ideas are welcome. I love my birdies and am doing everything I can to give them a good life.