Official Squatch Watchers

[CSAchook]

Find the feather picker and chop her head off. If they're pets you might look into pinless peepers, or removing her from the flock permanently. Sometimes if a bird is sickly or weird the others will bully it.

Is it likely the picking is happening during the day or at night? How do I find the culprit? And no head chopping! These are my babies we are talking about!

 

[Chickassan]

@CSAchook who does she roost beside, that took a little bit of time so i doubt its a snatch and grab.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

@CSAchook How bad was the bug infestation? It could be due to that. Those are the places creepy crawlies like to hide. The others could have been "helping" her remove them and pulling feathers too.
I say observe and see. If they start grow back, great. If someone is picking on her then steps need to be taken.

 

[BantyChooks]

Is it likely the picking is happening during the day or at night? How do I find the culprit? And no head chopping! These are my babies we are talking about!

Dunno, I don't have much experience with it. Watch them like an eagle for a while until you see one picking at her face/neck. The reason I think it is picking by flockmates is that it's too far up for her to have done it to herself, moulting doesn't start there, and I think I see broken shafts.

Rodger that. No head chopping.

 

[staceyj]

View attachment 1243925 View attachment 1243926 View attachment 1243929 View attachment 1243932 Okay squatchers, need more opinions on what is wrong with my baby. I have cured her lice infestation (yay!) But I am still really concerned about the feather loss. Hubby said we got six eggs yesterday (and we only have 6 hens), so I am thinking molting is out of the question? Do you think another hen is doing this? I am so worried

Do you get 6 eggs every day?
I'm still voting for molting, but think she just hasn't quite shut down egg production. Her comb looks like a molting girl.

 

[Chickassan]

Ohhh ok, i just took a closer look at your baby @CSAchook ,she's soft feathered right? Soft feathers have tiny shafts so the least little tug and they are out of there! You totally need to know that if you want faverolles, feathers fall all the time! My dom is the same, i barely touched her and omg sooo many feathers. You might not have a huge problem after all, if someone was helping her it is totally possible that was accidental.

 

[CSAchook]

@CSAchook who does she roost beside, that took a little bit of time so i doubt its a snatch and grab.

She sleeps between two of her brood mates: a speckled Sussex and another Cochin. The two boss hens roost a ways away on a different perch.

@CSAchook How bad was the bug infestation? It could be due to that. Those are the places creepy crawlies like to hide. The others could have been "helping" her remove them and pulling feathers too.
I say observe and see. If they start grow back, great. If someone is picking on her then steps need to be taken.

Bad I think. Worse than any of the other girls.

Dunno, I don't have much experience with it. Watch them like an eagle for a while until you see one picking at her face/neck. The reason I think it is picking by flockmates is that it's too far up for her to have done it to herself.

Rodger that. No head chopping.

Right. No way she pecked the back of her own head. And she is at the very bottom of the pecking order I can try to catch the culprit in the act but I am really not home very much. I have school and multiple part time jobs.

 

[BantyChooks]

She sleeps between two of her brood mates: a speckled Sussex and another Cochin. The two boss hens roost a ways away on a different perch.



Bad I think. Worse than any of the other girls.



Right. No way she pecked the back of her own head. And she is at the very bottom of the pecking order I can try to catch the culprit in the act but I am really not home very much. I have school and multiple part time jobs.

Oh, that stinks. Well, if it is feather picking, it won't kill her, she'll just be a bit ugly.

 

[CSAchook]

Do you get 6 eggs every day?
I'm still voting for molting, but think she just hasn't quite shut down egg production. Her comb looks like a molting girl.

No not every day. This was the first six egg day of all last week. In person though her comb still looks pretty red?

Ohhh ok, i just took a closer look at your baby @CSAchook ,she's soft feathered right? Soft feathers have tiny shafts so the least little tug and they are out of there! You totally need to know that if you want faverolles, feathers fall all the time! My dom is the same, i barely touched her and omg sooo many feathers. You might not have a huge problem after all, if someone was helping her it is totally possible that was accidental.

She is my softest, fluffiest girl in the whole flock. Very delicate feathers. It was an accident! Part of the issue is that this seemed to co- occured with the lice problem but I don’t know if they are actually related or not

 

[CSAchook]

Oh, that stinks. Well, if it is feather picking, it won't kill her, she'll just be a bit ugly.

I have the whole day off Sunday, maybe I can stalk her then.