rooster dropped feathers when I picked him up

[babychickens321]

today I was wishing my chickens goodnight as they were settling in to sleep and around this time I always pick up/ handle my chickens because they don't like getting picked up in general and during the day they go crazy if I try pick them up but in the night they tolerate it and even have a nap on me
BUT as I was picking my rooster up today he started dropping his foot feathers (I know its foot feathers because its muddy ). it wasn't as if I swooped down on him to pick him up or suddenly grabbed him and anyway, before picking my chickens I sort of hover my hands in front so they know im about to pick them up and they're just calmer that way but he was just desperate to get out of my hands, when I put his legs on my arm so he could stand on it he tried lunging off it even though normally he stays on and turns into a floofy lump and VERY occasionally purrs. I was checking out his leg feathers as well because they looked unnaturally clean (leg not foot) and soft and then his foot feathers just started dropping
WHY IS HE SUDDENLY SCARED OF ME
^he eats treats out of my hand and wants to know what im doing and runs to me when I open the door but when I picked him up he started dropping his feathers which made me abit sad
however I hadnt picked them up for a few days so maybe he got unused to it???

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'm sorry you are disappointed your chickens don't want to cuddle a lot. It is important to know that many chickens simply don't like being handled especially by something bigger than them. It is a normal predator protection response. That's what makes them different than a dog or cat. Chickens are prey. Dog and cats are predators. They can afford to cuddle (rather than eat you). A chicken is more worried that you will eat THEM.

Think about it. How you would you like something dark and 10 to 15 times bigger than you coming in and picking you up? Especially if you are used to being at the bottom of the food chain (everything eats chicken).

So what your rooster has shown is a natural predator response. It is also a natural protector response. It is his job in nature to protect his flock. He is supposed to be alert and fight off any predator that might hit the gals at night.

So his response seems normal.

Some breeds, and particular birds even within the more docile breeds, simply aren't cuddly. Many roosters due to predator and protector responses are not cuddly. If you can pick him up and he doesn't try to scratch your eyes out or bite, you have a pretty docile rooster. I won't keep those that are aggressive, but I don't expect them to cuddle. Some will. Many won't.

I would however in daylight get a good look at his feet to be sure there isn't some infection or scaly leg mites or bumble foot that might cause feather loss. It was probably a stress reaction (I had a hen lose all her tail feathers when I grabbed to catch her as she was trying to bolt out of the yard). But, you should first check his health.

He also may simply be close to a molt.

Try not to be personally insulted. Chickens are chickens. They are fun friends, but many are simply not cuddly pets like a kitten or a puppy. That's why we have chickens as barnyard friends and the cat on our couch cushions.

LofMc

 

[babychickens321]

I'm sorry you are disappointed your chickens don't want to cuddle a lot. It is important to know that many chickens simply don't like being handled especially by something bigger than them. It is a normal predator protection response. That's what makes them different than a dog or cat. Chickens are prey. Dog and cats are predators. They can afford to cuddle (rather than eat you). A chicken is more worried that you will eat THEM.

Think about it. How you would you like something dark and 10 to 15 times bigger than you coming in and picking you up? Especially if you are used to being at the bottom of the food chain (everything eats chicken).

So what your rooster has shown is a natural predator response. It is also a natural protector response. It is his job in nature to protect his flock. He is supposed to be alert and fight off any predator that might hit the gals at night.

So his response seems normal.

Some breeds, and particular birds even within the more docile breeds, simply aren't cuddly. Many roosters due to predator and protector responses are not cuddly. If you can pick him up and he doesn't try to scratch your eyes out or bite, you have a pretty docile rooster. I won't keep those that are aggressive, but I don't expect them to cuddle. Some will. Many won't.

I would however in daylight get a good look at his feet to be sure there isn't some infection or scaly leg mites or bumble foot that might cause feather loss. It was probably a stress reaction (I had a hen lose all her tail feathers when I grabbed to catch her as she was trying to bolt out of the yard). But, you should first check his health.

He also may simply be close to a molt.

Try not to be personally insulted. Chickens are chickens. They are fun friends, but many are simply not cuddly pets like a kitten or a puppy. That's why we have chickens as barnyard friends and the cat on our couch cushions.

LofMc

TAHNKS A LOT
I think he has scaly leg mites because his toes have darker outlines of scales and are standing up a little but not too much
but I only just saw after you mentioned so I didn't know for probably quite some time that he had mites
will he continue to drop feathers until he's completely recovered or just when I pick him

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You need to treat the scaly leg mite or the mites will just get worse.

Try smearing Vaseline onto his feet. However the feet feathers may not let it seep in enough. You want to starve the mites from air. You have to keep applying for several weeks to see improvement.

Otherwise you will need to apply ivermectin pour on which you can get at a feed store. For the typical solution it's about 1 to 2 ml or about 5 drops at the back of the neck. I'd have to check that dosage.

LofMc

 

[babychickens321]

You need to treat the scaly leg mite or the mites will just get worse.

Try smearing Vaseline onto his feet. However the feet feathers may not let it seep in enough. You want to starve the mites from air. You have to keep applying for several weeks to see improvement.

Otherwise you will need to apply ivermectin pour on which you can get at a feed store. For the typical solution it's about 1 to 2 ml or about 5 drops at the back of the neck. I'd have to check that dosage.

LofMc

yes I did apply a THICK coat of Vicks and tried to do it through his feet feathers but they just got gelled and sticky
thanks a lot
can you get that medicine online because I don't go to a feed store

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Yes. You can get it online. I've gotten mine from the local feed store and from Amazon. I'll give the Amazon link, but it is ridiculously expensive there right now.
https://www.amazon.com/IVERMECTIN-P...ermectin+cattle+pour+on&qid=1650836991&sr=8-6

Here is also one from a Tractor Supply which should be able to ship:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/durvet-ivermectin-pour-on-250-ml

Ivermectin will also de-worm them from round worms (unless the worms have a resistance built up form over use). It will get rid of body mites and scaly leg mites too. I like it. It's easy to dispense (I use plastic syringes and give about 1/2 ml on my large birds).

Dosage (from the Chicken-Chick website):
Ivermectin pour-on, applied to the back of chicken's neck; 1 drop for tiny chickens, 3 drops for bantams, 4 for lightweight birds, 5 for large birds and 6 for heavy breeds.

 

[babychickens321]

Yes. You can get it online. I've gotten mine from the local feed store and from Amazon. I'll give the Amazon link, but it is ridiculously expensive there right now.
https://www.amazon.com/IVERMECTIN-P...ermectin+cattle+pour+on&qid=1650836991&sr=8-6

Here is also one from a Tractor Supply which should be able to ship:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/durvet-ivermectin-pour-on-250-ml

Ivermectin will also de-worm them from round worms (unless the worms have a resistance built up form over use). It will get rid of body mites and scaly leg mites too. I like it. It's easy to dispense (I use plastic syringes and give about 1/2 ml on my large birds).

Dosage (from the Chicken-Chick website):
Ivermectin pour-on, applied to the back of chicken's neck; 1 drop for tiny chickens, 3 drops for bantams, 4 for lightweight birds, 5 for large birds and 6 for heavy breeds.

THANK YOU SOO MUCH!!