My poor naked tailed little Roo

[Skippersnh]

he shouldnt be going through a molt at his age

 

[Lake2day]

Sorry, I sometimes have to use translate. The answer is - possible. Many things depend on the environment where they grow. Environment I mean other birds. In my flock (35 chicken and 5 rooster) there is no hard pecking. Almost no pecking at all. I deal with chickens three times a day, and I'm still trying to teach them all. But I don't know what they're doing when I turn my back. My 2 years old faverolle rooster has lost its tail 3 times and cemani rooster 4 times. They are all health and live for many more years.
Easy to grab? I dont know! I have 2 dogs , who guard. My all chickens go in at night. If there is damage in the rooster, chickens also have signs. We live with all predators that also come through 2 cm nets. So, everything is not desease and it is ridiculous. Sorry my english.

You’re English is pretty good actually. I watch my chickens a lot like you do, and you’re right they never seem to do anything strange when I’m there, but they get into all kinds of things when I’m not watching. Mine go up at night as well who knows what they do in the coup before they fall asleep

 

[Lake2day]

he shouldnt be going through a molt at his age

He and all the hens seem to have been moulting over the past month or so....

 

[Morgank]

He and all the hens seem to have been moulting over the past month or so....

I have to say, that roosters and chickens moulting time
does not have to be at the same time, even if they are same age. Moulting is not the issue in here. 5 months old cockerel dosnt moult nothing, because he just got a first feather.

 

[chickens really]

The pen isn't big enough and I'm thinking protein isn't right? Are you strictly feeding a balanced feed or tossing extras daily?
Juvenile molt happen around that age.

 

[Morgank]

You’re English is pretty good actually. I watch my chickens a lot like you do, and you’re right they never seem to do anything strange when I’m there, but they get into all kinds of things when I’m not watching. Mine go up at night as well who knows what they do in the coup before they fall asleep

If you are a beginner, don't believe everyone. There is 1% deseases and 99% chickens real life. Also different breeds behave differently. Your only concern is, if the bird dosn`t drink or eat- this is time to be worried. For example: at this time of year, chickens are in winter coop. (North Europe) We have digital timer between electricity. Automatically switches lights on in the morning and off in the evening. Ok, i have chickens who fly high on shelves. They fly against the plug and lights went off too early. In the morning all the birds were on the floor, also the eggs. I notice a day later, that one cockerel is sits on the roosterbar and not eat. His leg was injured in the dark at that evening when lights went off earlier. He is ok now and able to walk. Of course we always feed separately those who cannot eat and drink themselves. But, there is no desease. I learned that few years ago, that if there is a problem in the flock, they just live their own life. Since then, i sleep peacefully at night.

 

[Lake2day]

I have to say, that roosters and chickens moulting time
does not have to be at the same time, even if they are same age. Moulting is not the issue in here. 5 months old cockerel dosnt moult nothing, because he just got a first feather.

This is honestly the first flock of chickens I’ve ever raised and I may be unsure of what moulting actually entails.... I got them as week old chicks covered in down, when they were around the 4/6 weekish Mark they lost downy feathers and grew more mature feathers. That was about September here and a very hot one so I transferred them from my brooder into their coup. October they all started growing new feathers, with more color and sheen and lost many downy light colored feathers especially around the neck and rump. These changes seemed to happen within a month or so finishing up last around last week. The cockerel finished last, has been a real ass-hole, and strutting around (Somehow miraculously completing the change at exactly the same time as my 14 year old step-son who is also strutting around and being a real asshole). So I assumed what I observed was a complete moult signaling the end of some kind of chicken puberty. Again, these are my first chickens to raise so I’m just basing that assumption from very limited experience. No chicken ever had bald skin showing until the cockerel came up tail-featherless even though he seemed to have finished growing those feathers in just last week. I have no idea how many feathers a chicken is supposed to grow before they reach full maturity, but I did realize it was the worst possible timing for a cockerel who thinks he’s 10 feet tall and bullet proof. A cold November morning is no time to come up with a bare lumpy nub to wave at the ladies.

 

[Lake2day]

The pen isn't big enough and I'm thinking protein isn't right? Are you strictly feeding a balanced feed or tossing extras daily?
Juvenile molt happen around that age.

I have 6 hens and a rooster in a 10x12 pen. I was feeding around 16% starter feed then switched to game bird starter and added cracked corn around 2 ish weeks ago. I think it’s 18%-20% protein . I just tell the “feed guy” at my local feed store what I’ve got, (quail and chickens), how much I can spend that’s what I come home with. I scramble 3 eggs every morning for them instead of the teenagers because the chickens appreciate it more. They also get table scraps which consist of mostly green vegetables because teenagers and 3 year olds hate those. In addition to fresh raw organ meat when we process our rabbits. We don’t have a run up yet but I put a 30’ circular dog pen designed for portable use to let them forage under supervision. Probably 3-4 days a week.

 

[Morgank]

This is honestly the first flock of chickens I’ve ever raised and I may be unsure of what moulting actually entails.... I got them as week old chicks covered in down, when they were around the 4/6 weekish Mark they lost downy feathers and grew more mature feathers. That was about September here and a very hot one so I transferred them from my brooder into their coup. October they all started growing new feathers, with more color and sheen and lost many downy light colored feathers especially around the neck and rump. These changes seemed to happen within a month or so finishing up last around last week. The cockerel finished last, has been a real ass-hole, and strutting around (Somehow miraculously completing the change at exactly the same time as my 14 year old step-son who is also strutting around and being a real asshole). So I assumed what I observed was a complete moult signaling the end of some kind of chicken puberty. Again, these are my first chickens to raise so I’m just basing that assumption from very limited experience. No chicken ever had bald skin showing until the cockerel came up tail-featherless even though he seemed to have finished growing those feathers in just last week. I have no idea how many feathers a chicken is supposed to grow before they reach full maturity, but I did realize it was the worst possible timing for a cockerel who thinks he’s 10 feet tall and bullet proof. A cold November morning is no time to come up with a bare lumpy nub to wave at the ladies.

First, 4-5 weeks old chicks dosn´t moult. Are you sure their age is correct? Chickens start to moult usually after they are 1,5 year old. My chicken first moulting took a very long time, about 7 months. They dont lose all feather, in one point chicken back between wings is almost bald. They molt every year, like humans lose their hair every day and new ones grow in place. Like dogs or like snakes changing their skin. If chickens moult, it would be good to give them a protein rich diet. Mine eat fish, beans, cottage cheese, joghurt, sunflower seeds, etc. Then that moulting time will be shorter. They eat these foods in addition to theyr own layer food. And our chickens eat all year round layer, wheat, corn, oatmeal and my own food that I cook separately. The list is long. You need to know that everything you feed them, then more and better eggs you get. And they are much healthier. One reason why your chickens and rooster start lose feather is ( one option) wrong food. Just born chicks eat chick food (starter) young pullets eats theyr own food and after 4 months old pullets you can give them laying chicken layer. In my country there is also different layer (I dont know is this a right word, I mean prepared dry food, little granules) for laying hens, depends on how long they have laid. So the food is nr 1. Because all these foods contain different ingredients that they need at different times of growth.

 

[chickens really]

I have 6 hens and a rooster in a 10x12 pen. I was feeding around 16% starter feed then switched to game bird starter and added cracked corn around 2 ish weeks ago. I think it’s 18%-20% protein . I just tell the “feed guy” at my local feed store what I’ve got, (quail and chickens), how much I can spend that’s what I come home with. I scramble 3 eggs every morning for them instead of the teenagers because the chickens appreciate it more. They also get table scraps which consist of mostly green vegetables because teenagers and 3 year olds hate those. In addition to fresh raw organ meat when we process our rabbits. We don’t have a run up yet but I put a 30’ circular dog pen designed for portable use to let them forage under supervision. Probably 3-4 days a week.

Stop all the extras and only feed the balanced feed you purchase. Everything else knocks the nutrition out of balance.