Joryem
Chirping
- Apr 6, 2018
- 21
- 20
- 59
I know the conversation about feather plucking has been discussed over and over, but I am dumb founded still and want to know if anyone has experienced the same.
I have 6 hens and 2 Pekins ducks. One of my golden comets is going bald on her lower half. It started that she just looked scruffy down there. It’s not really the vent area. It’s under her wings and some of her belly.
I don’t think it’s parasites as the others are not experiencing this problem. The 8 birds are secured in a 120 square foot section of a much larger cinder block barn. There were barn swallows occupying parts of the barn this summer so I naturally thought parasites... but again, no other bird is experiencing this problem. They free range almost daily for at least 4 hours.
They all eat then same layer food and are given vegetables daily (usually squash, cucumber, celery), there is grit and oyster shells in the coop at all times.
Here’s the thing...she lays gigantic, double yolker eggs 2 to 3 times a week. These eggs put the duck eggs to shame. Is it a protein issue? While we see feathers lying around here and there and I have never seen her eat one, is it possible that’s the problem? Do I need to pull her aside and give her extra protein? I probably shouldn’t give extra to all of them right? They get meal worms a couple times a week maybe. It’s a high value treat so we save it for when we need to get them back in the coop without a fuss.
I have 6 hens and 2 Pekins ducks. One of my golden comets is going bald on her lower half. It started that she just looked scruffy down there. It’s not really the vent area. It’s under her wings and some of her belly.
I don’t think it’s parasites as the others are not experiencing this problem. The 8 birds are secured in a 120 square foot section of a much larger cinder block barn. There were barn swallows occupying parts of the barn this summer so I naturally thought parasites... but again, no other bird is experiencing this problem. They free range almost daily for at least 4 hours.
They all eat then same layer food and are given vegetables daily (usually squash, cucumber, celery), there is grit and oyster shells in the coop at all times.
Here’s the thing...she lays gigantic, double yolker eggs 2 to 3 times a week. These eggs put the duck eggs to shame. Is it a protein issue? While we see feathers lying around here and there and I have never seen her eat one, is it possible that’s the problem? Do I need to pull her aside and give her extra protein? I probably shouldn’t give extra to all of them right? They get meal worms a couple times a week maybe. It’s a high value treat so we save it for when we need to get them back in the coop without a fuss.
