Molting?

[Jay1105]

I have 8 Ameraucanas 4 roo's and 4 hens, they are just about twelve weeks. All but 1 roo is off to freezer camp once they get a little bigger. I have one roo that is mean and sneeks up on all the others (hens and roos) and plucks feathers from them. Two of my hens are missing almost all their tail feathers. I havnt seen (Dexter the before mentiioned mean roo) actually pull tail feathers. He seems to like pulling side feathers. Could the lack of tail feathers be from molting? Either way, will they grow back?

 

[chicmom]

Young chickens do go through some partial molting stages, but they don't usually have bald spots.....It's kind of a gradual thing where they lose their baby fuzz while the new feathers are growing in.

Your meanie roo is definitely the cause. If the entire feather is gone, then they will grow back, but if the feather shaft is still in there (like a little stem), then new feathers won't come until the next molt.

I'd spray those bare spots with Blue Cote spray, to kind of camoflage them, and help them heal if they seem irritated and red. And I'd dispatch that roo pronto, or separate him so he can't do anymore pecking.

Take care,
Sharon

 

[Jay1105]

Thanks for the info. Their tails are not bald just missing the main large tail feathers. One other question. At what age might I expect some eggs from my girls? Like I said in my last post, they are 12 weeks now.

 

[chicmom]

Quote:
Hi again, the average laying age is 20 weeks. From what I remember, my EEs took just a bit longer than that. Their behavior changes a bit when they get ready to lay. They will do a very noticeable "squat" when you reach out for them. That's a sign that they've reached maturity, and laying will start soon, so when you see them doing that, it's also a good idea to switch to the layer feed. Eggs will come real soon once you see that squatting behavior.

 

[dbounds10]

x2 - I have Bar Rocks, Brahmas, and EE's. The Bar Rocks are the only ones laying and they are all 23 weeks old today. They have been laying for 9 days. I have 1 Brahma that is close and the other 3 I would bet are at least 2-3 more weeks away.