Moulting or something else? **big PICS**

[ChickenMommy]

Okay here's Blackie's rearend.

Here's Rosie's tummy.

Here's Splash's rearend.

What does everyone think? Are we moutling?
What can I do about Blackie do I need to isolate her? She is picking herself.
I dont have a rooster either, so its not from a rooster.

 

[LinckHillPoultry]

It appears they are being mated with.
Look at some of the other posts, they show ways to make chicken saddles.

 

[ncgnance]

Looks like you've got a pretty rough rooster there. Check out his spurs to make sure they're not sharp enough or long enough to hurt your hens. I have to have my roo's spurs cut. One of them grows straight down, and he can really damage the hens.

 

[ChickenMommy]

I don't have a rooster.

 

[birdlover]

Ann,

I'm no expert although I CAN read and know you don't have a rooster!

It could be molting BUT you need to make sure the cause isn't mites. Get yourself a really strong magnifying glass and hold your girls under a bright light to inspect them for mites. Remember, they're really really teeny but you can see them moving. I have a chicken that moulted ALL the feathers off her neck, wings, back and tail and stayed naked like that for 3 months! I was sure there was some skin disease but she's now sprouting new feathers (thank goodness - she was some ugly hen for a while!). Hopefully, someone with more experience than me will be able to give you more advice.

 

[ncgnance]

My apologies, I did not read the part about no rooster...

 

[raindrop]

Could they be feather picking?

 

[ChickenMommy]

I see Blackie pecking herself all the time and haven't seen anyone else pecking her....she is 3rd in the pecking order. I feed them good food, have free choice oyster shell, apple cider vinegar in the water and grit/veggie peels daily as treats. I have put rooster booster no pick on Blackie and she pecks it off/wipes her mouth on te grounds/pecks some more/wipes...its funny to watch actually....anyhow the no pick stuff doesnt keep her from pecking.

 

[texaschickmama]

I have about 3 of my Buff Orpington girls that look exactly like that. One is worse than the other two. I put some blu kote on it hoping it was from mating, but I don't know. My rooster does not have sharp spurs. I'm in the same boat as you. I don't know what else to do. Mine are like 7-8 months old is that old enough to moult? They just started laying in Dec. Sorry, did not mean to hijack your thread.

Sorry, forgot to add if it WAS mites wouldn't all of them have them?

 

[twigg]

Occasionally it can happen that if you don't have a rooster, one of the hens can start behaving like one.

This has been observed in commercial flocks. The hen concerned would be culled as she will stop laying