Spice Chicks

[Spice Chicks]

HI I know that looks femiler my last name is Spicer and i have chickens. Ha' Ha' We bought some black Sex links April 16th they had just started getting there wing feathers and we have 1 Red Sex Link she was the only one left so we took her. We have 6 and plan to next year get 6 Ancona chicks they sold out before we could get this year. We had chickens before when our children where small and the strangest thing happened. went out one night to close them up for the night and they were Rhrode Island Reds i believe if i remember correctly (boy were they noisy. went out the next day they were gone not a feather to be found and no blood we had about 12 and 1 rooster i think. Never did figure out where they went. I started out wanting just Ancona chickens and no one had any most places were already sold out. Now here is my delema I am in south Carolina and we have built them a coop Pro 6x10 with an in closer so no Predators can get at them . section for them to be out in during the day. I an noticing a lot of feathers all kinds if my guess is right they are about 16 weeks old figured they were about a week old when we got them . not only what appears to be tail feathers but poss under coat feathers as well. the have not started laying yet and we have them still on starter feed. They don't appear to be pecking at each other. I tell you if i did not look out the window and see them would not even know they are there. I can't believe they are so quiet compared to the other chickens we had . they don't appear to be pecking at themselves or each other . However that being said could it be from the heat it has been in the mid 90's here. I might that there coats for lack of a better work is so black it is almost blue and they are shinny . nothing to make me suspect anything is wrong. I was just wondering if you have any other suggestions.

 

[ChicknsRock]

 

[drumstick diva]

Could they be molting? Have you checked them for mites or lice, their scratching & biting could pull out feathers.

Before when your entire flock disappeared it may have been "human" predators that took off with all of them. That's why no pile of feathers

 

[unionhillchix]

Welcome to BYC! You might want to try posting in the emergency/injury thread.

 

[Spice Chicks]

Thanks would the molt at approx 16 Weeks? Have not checked for mites or lice. I don't have any dusting powder just made them up the bath thing yesterday one for outside and one for inside.

 

[Spice Chicks]

Thank you will have to check on that. Have been reading that page over the last few weeks.

 

[unionhillchix]

here is the link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X2, if nothing else is wrong, it could just be normal molting, quote from
The Poultry Site
"The pullet
The chick goes through one complete and three partial moults during its growth to point of lay, after which the mature bird normally undergoes one complete moult a year, usually in autumn although this depends on the time of the year at which the bird commenced laying. Generally complete moulting occurs from 1-6 weeks and partial moulting at 7-9 weeks, 12-16 weeks and 20-22 weeks, and during this latter moult the stiff tail feathers are grown. "

 

[Spice Chicks]

Since i started the conversation here would like to let you know what I found. checked the girls for LIce or any other bugs. no sign of them that I could tell skin was healthy looking not red or irritated . How ever around the vents and under the wings noted tiny new feathers coming in and they appeared to be covered by what looked like plastic milky colored sheaths. almost could compare with the cover that is on an umbrella.as if holding the feather as a cover on an umbrella would hold in the folds of an umbrella.So I guess anything is possible it may very well be associated with the increased heat we have been having. since i don't see them pecking at each other or anything more than a little pruning of the feathers no real scratching either on a scale of 1 - 10 1 being very very rarely 10 being constant all the time.scratching and picking at them selves or each over they would be as possibly 1.5 there are no signs of any distress noted.. Will post on the other emergency disease injuries and cures page as well.

 

[Spice Chicks]

Thank you so much for that info I have 2 books on raising backyard chickens and they pretty much just mention the once a year molting . They are very good the 2nd is more like a 101 on raising chicks book, and even though it is thick there is so much info that they would need to turn it into a set of encyclopedias . I will add this to my important things to know about raising chick.