Moulting chickens and cold (part 50)

[legojenn]

I just inherited three hens from a friend. One is two years old and two are a year old. I have them separated from my current four. I doubled the size of my coop from 4x4 to 4x8, and then put up a temporary divider between the two halves and split the run.

We just got our first snow last night and it was -1/30 when I woke up this morning. If the snow isn't gone yet, it should be soon. I expect permanent snow in the next two weeks or so. I know there are lots of postings about our birds and the cold so I don't want to belabour things. Those chickens are tougher than we given them credit for, as long as we keep them dry and out of direct wind.

The older "new" bird is in a moult. I assume that I can leave her without heat. The coldest that we are going to get over the next week is -9/16. Her feathers are missing along the front of her neck and breast, but they are growing back in. Her feathers look like little golf balls on tees. Am I okay to leave her out there unheated or should I heat up my Cozy Products 200 W coop heater? Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't consider turning on heat until the temps are -18/0 degrees.

I can share a photo of her tonight if necessary. She's been through a lot and I don't want to stress her out more.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I wouldn't heat. I have a bunch of birds still molting and a few haven't started yet. They always do okay here as long as they don't have other issues going on.

 

[Alaskan]

Her feathers look like little golf balls on tees

When I read that... I think it sounds like feather lice..

Have you checked them carefully for parasites?

I would make sure she has no wind on her at all, and make sure that she has a high protein feed (18 or 20% protein), and maybe treat her for parasites, twice, about 10 days apart...

But no heat.

 

[aart]

Her feathers look like little golf balls on tees.

When I read that... I think it sounds like feather lice.

Thought the same.

@legojenn can we get some pics of these "little golf balls on tees" please?