Rubber chicken flock

[Mulemom]

I guess I'm gonna have to take one of my girls to the vet. They have been "moulting" for over 6 months now. I have tired DE, Sevin, BOSS, Kitty chow....It's not the roo. It started before he got here, and now he's loosing his feathers too!

They all have bald spots (some small some really big) above their tails, and most have bald spots on their necks too. A couple of them are so bad I call them my rubber chickens!

Is there anything I haven't tried? My regular vet won't see them, and I had to make an appointment at a bird vet and hour and half away, and it's $55 just to walk thru the door!

 

[miss_thenorth]

Me personally, I wouldn't take them to the vet. I have two one has a bald spot on her back--not from the roo, she was bald before he got there. one I calll naked neck. It could be pecking, have you tried electrolytes in their water? Mine do not seem distressed by it, and are otherwise fine, so I leave them. IMO, chickens are not my pets, although I love them, they are here to provide me food. They are cheap and replaceable. You could get alot more chickens with that $55. Again, JMO.

 

[dlhunicorn]

have you treated their coop? If not then it may well be they are simply being reinfested each evening when they sleep.

 

[Mulemom]

Hi dlhunicorn, I put DE on the floor before I put down the shaveings, but I haven't done that with the Sevin. I don't think it would be as safe for them if they ate that. Can you tell me how I should be treating the coop?

miss_thenorth, Mine don't really seem stressed by it either, although the bald spots do seem to get sunburned too. I tried spraying them with Blue Kote incase it was pecking, but that didn't seem to help either. My girls are pets as well as an egg source. My DH calls them my
lap chickens." They used to be beautiful too. I don't really mind spending the money if that's what I have to do to get them healthy and pretty again.