Show Off Your American Gamefowl and Chat Thread!!!

[hillbilly91]

View attachment 1575991
See the top feathers how they’re messed up? This is what that will cause. This guy is gone.

Dang, I hope someone knows wha t causes it

 

[roosterhavoc]

Seems like a lack of biotin.
humans get brittle fingernails and hair loss when deficient

I have 2 out of a bunch. That means cull to me. I don’t treat vitamin deficiencies.

 

[hillbilly91]

Here's that stag you keep asking about roosterhavoc

 

[roosterhavoc]

Feathers are mostly protein. I tend to see the sheath staying on longer when it is dry or when the birds are growing a lot of feathers quickly and they have a hard time keeping up with the preening which helps remove the sheath. When I raised more show birds, I would mist the birds or mist the liter in the pen to give the birds more moisture when it was really dry and they were growing a new crop of feathers.

I can see the oil helping but it’s been plenty wet here and my birds always have plenty of water. I’ve only seen it in two birds out of a bunch. These are the same two I posted last year when we were talking about streamers touching the ground. Their tails were huge. The curled top section of feathers were always slightly crinkled.

 

[B123]

Seems like a lack of biotin.
humans get brittle fingernails and hair loss when deficient

Commercial poultry diets account for this requirement.

 

[B123]

I can see the oil helping but it’s been plenty wet here and my birds always have plenty of water. I’ve only seen it in two birds out of a bunch. These are the same two I posted last year when we were talking about streamers touching the ground. Their tails were huge. The curled top section of feathers were always slightly crinkled.

The oil and external water help soften the sheath. Drinking the water doesn't really help with the dry sheath. There is also a genetic component to feather quality. Some family's of fowl have really nice texture to their feathers almost all of the time. Others are often frayed and tattered. Since it is on previously well feathered birds, I would guess and external cause. If the birds are good in other ways it may be worth the wait.

 

[hillbilly91]

He was out all day today no issues. I remodeled a pen threw some feed in a feed cup and he jumped in the pen. Even let me rub his chest

 

[SOHC-FTW]

I use the exact same feed as havoc but I don't use scratch just add whole corn alls fine here.

 

[roosterhavoc]

The oil and external water help soften the sheath. Drinking the water doesn't really help with the dry sheath. There is also a genetic component to feather quality. Some family's of fowl have really nice texture to their feathers almost all of the time. Others are often frayed and tattered. Since it is on previously well feathered birds, I would guess and external cause. If the birds are good in other ways it may be worth the wait.

I understand that it’s the external moisture you’re saying helps them remove the sheath. Regardless I have 2 out of over 70 roosters. They’re brothers. This seems more genetic to me for mine anyway.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Some roosters feather quality drops off as they age too. The birds used for fly tying is a good example. The first set is the best. After molting the feathers are not the same quality. Generally they go downhill as they age.