AndyAmbiguous
Chirping
- Apr 23, 2020
- 40
- 52
- 66
Hi y'all! My SG Dorkings are taking their sweet time coming into lay but one in particular seems to be having a difficult time and has stopped developing. All the others are getting bigger redder combs and one has been laying for about a month now. But Marina, her comb is still small and pink and she's much less active than the others. She looks to be the same size as the others, but I haven't weighed them recently. She appears to have much more fluffy down undercoat than the others, and it even pokes through as little tufts on her back. Her feathers in general are very soft.
I've noticed that her tail feather condition has been poor and I've tried to help her remove some of the sheaths. Today I noticed she had a big clump of poop stuck to her butt so I gave her a nice warm bath. She tolerated it well. And now I can see the extent to which she's just not grooming herself. She has tons of very long pin feathers back there that haven't been touched.
Overall she's not showing other signs of ill health. She walks normally, loves to eat from my hand, her eyes are bright, she's vocalizing and curious. But she is the last off the roost and the first back on and tends to stay away from the others when given a choice. These birds were hatched in late April, and I didn't have them on the right feed at first so their growth has been a bit slowed. We are doing a DIY feed system because I am very allergic to wheat. Is there a particular nutrient or food that aids in feather health? Right now they are on an 18% protein mix with plenty of variety.
I've noticed that her tail feather condition has been poor and I've tried to help her remove some of the sheaths. Today I noticed she had a big clump of poop stuck to her butt so I gave her a nice warm bath. She tolerated it well. And now I can see the extent to which she's just not grooming herself. She has tons of very long pin feathers back there that haven't been touched.
Overall she's not showing other signs of ill health. She walks normally, loves to eat from my hand, her eyes are bright, she's vocalizing and curious. But she is the last off the roost and the first back on and tends to stay away from the others when given a choice. These birds were hatched in late April, and I didn't have them on the right feed at first so their growth has been a bit slowed. We are doing a DIY feed system because I am very allergic to wheat. Is there a particular nutrient or food that aids in feather health? Right now they are on an 18% protein mix with plenty of variety.
