Question about my rooster

[chickenkid25]

I have a golden laced wyandotte rooster, he is about 7 months old and i live in michigan. He has started to loose his tail fethers and the sattle feathers around his tail. Is hs feathers prepping for winter or is their something wrong? Thanks

 

[MrsBrooke]

It's probably molting... Do you see him getting pecked? I feel like that hen in the second photo is mighty curious about his hind end.

Also, check his vent for evidence of mites or lice... They can make a chicken pull their feathers out in itchy frustration.

MrsB

 

[chickenkid25]

It's probably molting... Do you see him getting pecked? I feel like that hen in the second photo is mighty curious about his hind end.

Also, check his vent for evidence of mites or lice... They can make a chicken pull their feathers out in itchy frustration.

MrsB

yes, they do peck that area quite a bit

 

[junebuggena]

You have feather picking. First, increase the amount of protein they are getting. Layer feed is just barely enough for egg production. If you are giving treats regularly, they probably aren't getting enough protein. Also, layer feed should never be fed to flocks with roosters. It's for actively laying birds only.
Secondly, that run looks pretty darn boring. Boredom is another reason for feather picking.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It looks like he is being plucked.

What type of food/treats are you feeding?

Feather picking can become a habit. Lack of enough protein, lice/mites, boredom and not enough space are a few things to look into.

You may want to provide a high protein diet like an all flock/flock raiser formula feed, offer some vitamins in their water once a week and limit treats to no more than 10%of their daily intake. Provide oyster shell free choice for your girls.

Check your flock over for any signs of lice/mites to make sure this is not an issue.
Adequate space and something do to may deter picking as well - provide perches in the run for preening time, hang fruit/veggies in the run, dump a pile of leaves/pine needles or weeds from the garden for them to scratch through, etc., busy chickens are much happier and don't have as much time to be mischievous.

Let us know how he is doing.


http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/03/chicken-feather-loss-cannibalism-causes.html