Rooster with 1 tail feather!

[emzee]

My Ameracauna rooster used to be gorgeous, until one day I noticed that he only had one tail feather left. I don't know if this happened overnight or if I just didn't notice it for a few days. Does anyone know how to get his tail feathers to grow back? Also, all the hens seem drawn to peck at the bare spot where his feathers used to be.

 

[speckledhen]

He's molting, I bet. My rooster has ZERO tail feathers now, LOL. They'll grow back when they grow back. Sometimes, they can use some extra protein, like scrambled eggs or canned salmon or mackerel to help with the feather growth.

 

[Preservation Acres]

I actually enjoy when my hens molt. I love the new fresh feathers.

I bought one hen from a guy who's rooster really tore her feathers up. Slowly, she's getting beautiful, one molt section at a time.

I don't have any roosters, so my hens can really develop their feathers.

 

[poultryhaven]

He's probably molting but i thought my Aseel roo was and it turned out rats were gnawing on his tail.

 

[gritsar]

My Lil' Bit had all but one of her tail feathers picked out by the other chickens when she was young. I put a stop to the picking with pine tar, but she never got any tail feathers. Now at 17 1/2 months she is going thru her first full molt. Both she and the other chickens have been picking at the new feathers as they are growing in. Rather than go the pine tar route again I made her a longer than normal hen saddle and plan on keeping it on her until all the feathers are in and growing well.
Each day I check under the saddle. The new tail feathers are about an inch and a half long now. So far, so good.

 

[beefy]

mine are molting now too

 

[patandchickens]

Yup, my Sussex roo has only one tailfeather at the moment due to (adult) molt, and two of the cockerels I put in the fridge yesterday had no tailfeathers at all due to "teenage" molt.

However if there is red blood from other chickens picking at the pinfeathers coming in, you need to do something about that. Put something no-pick on the area, or separate him, or whatever it takes to let him heal up. You don't want them getting more 'into' it and hurting hiim or making it a lasting habit.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat