Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[chxmama]

Are you sure you don't have a feather picker?

b/c of the tattered/chewed feathers or b/c of the pillowfight feathers?

No, I'm not sure? What do I need to watch for?

 

[BullChick]

Tattered got my attention. My run and coop look like a pillow fight all of the time. Especially from the ducks! I just chalk it up to their adult feathers growing in. Molting can happen anytime. Stress can bring it on too.

 

[BullChick]

Watch for a hen with feathers in her mouth.

 

[chxmama]

Watch for a hen with others in her mouth.

I'm not out w/ the hens as much this summer as I had been, but still a good deal. I haven't noticed that at all. Some aggression, but the submissive hen squats low and still and dominant hen/hens go away.

Let me grab some pics for ya!

 

[chxmama]

ok,
Here is the molting suspect. She even stretched her wing so you can see the bare patch at the top of her shoulder area. Does that look like molting?








And the chewed feathers. I have noticed that these 2 look smaller like they have lost body mass? They are more dominant hens though? They've been treated for worms, checked for mites/lice . . . I'm at a loss.

 

[dheltzel]

And this is one of the reasons the girls can no longer free-range.

This guy (girl?) has become to brazen. I can walk right up to the coop and she just sits there. She terrorizes the chickens. Chase her away, but she comes right back. A friend suggested getting a crow call b/c if you call the crows in, they will chase the hawks away, but I don't want crows in our yard again. They are so noisy especially in the AM!


Never tire of the lovely easter egg collection. Love the colorful baskets we've been getting. Even have some brown eggs that look pinkish next to the rest.
@dheltzel - check out the CCL blue from your stock!

Love the eggs!!
Not so much the hawk, I admire your restraint in just taking a picture.

 

[dheltzel]

Sold 68 of my breeders today to clear out space for next year's stock. I kind of miss them already, but this should lighten the feed bill a bit.It's really strange to have (temporarily) empty pens.
All of my Rhodebars and Marans are gone and not being replaced. The Ameraucanas and Legbars are being replaced with significantly upgraded birds that are growing out now,

 

[BullChick]

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Hi all! 

So limping chx frm 2 weeks ago is still limping @fisherlady

I've kept her separate from her flock mates to heal, but it seems nothing has changed w/in that time period - she hasn't gotten either better or worse. I've checked her foot and all up and down her leg and joints. Felt the hip area under her feathers and just can't seem to detect any swelling, discoloration or other visible problems. I'm afraid that if I continue to keep her separate, it is going to cause problems when she's reintroduced back into the flock. Not sure what to do? 

The run currently looks like there has been a pillow fight. One of the girls seems to be molting? She has 2 tail feathers left and looks a bit tattered and mangy. I was a little worried at first that it may be mites or something wrong, but think this must be a molt? She is 14/15 months. Is this a strange time to molt? I thought it happened closer to Fall months and cooler weather? How long to complete the molt and for feathers to grow back? She's not naked, though I just noticed a small wing patch that's getting close to bare. Also seems the other girls have been a bit more aggressive towards her? 

One more question, 3 of the chickens in the same flock (of 6) have tattered, chewed looking tail feathers (at the ends/tips). Again, I thought mites, maybe lice. Checked over the girls several different times and they look clean. Couldn't find anything. Can't figure out why their feathers look like that? 

Now I need to backtrack and find out what's been happening here! 

From the other pics you provided, it looks like the gray one is definitely molting. I think it it most common in fall, but I've had some silly girls molt in January even! I'll try to post a pic of Mary Poopins again, she had the worst molts. She just looked terrible for a while, but she had the same bare shoulders with "spines" of new feathers coming in also.

30 days until settlement! I can make it!

Awesome - you found a place! 

Thanks!

Sold 68 of my breeders today to clear out space for next year's stock. I kind of miss them already, but this should lighten the feed bill a bit.It's really strange to have (temporarily) empty pens.
All of my Rhodebars and Marans are gone and not being replaced. The Ameraucanas and Legbars are being replaced with significantly upgraded birds that are growing out now,

Did they all go to one buyer? What will you be focusing on next year?

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Here is Mary Poopins molting at the wrong time of the year, she looks a lot worse than yours.