Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[ManueB]

I have read that it can be a nutritional issue.

It has crossed my mind that she may not be eating enough to get the nutrients for the amount of energy required to grow new feathers so fast. She still eats a bit of everything I put in the feeders (layer, starter mash and a fermented grain mix) but only when there are no other chickens around.
I have been giving the three ex-batt's a daily portion of scrambled eggs, with sardines ever other day. I will add almond and walnuts.
I might add some of the human B vitamin complex I bought for Blanche but didn't use, as her mobility is getting worse.

We are off to my partner's mother for the dreaded Beaujolais Nouveau. So just pictures from today. The chickens did not leave the netted yard even though it was a warm sunny beautiful day.

Piou-piou going to lay at 6.30 in pitch dark - sound up

Spoiler: Nougat

 

[Sequel]

That was a sweet gift! My calendar arrived in the mail yesterday. It's a pretty sequence of photos, and of course I'm so proud of Mr. March

Sorry to hear Gaston's being a jerk. Stilton went through a phase a couple years ago where he'd peck everyone's feet at roost time, hard. They'd be all cozy and settled in, and here comes Stilton for no reason, pecking feet. He'd even grab the feathered-footed girls' foot feathers and lift their feet off the roost! They weren't appreciative. Lots of flapping and annoyed squawking. Occasionally a hen or 2 would even go roost in another coop to avoid him.

By day, he's mild and loved by the hens (and people), but that bizarre roost-time habit lasted for months.

I loved seeing your pic! Congratulations!

 

[Perris]

She still eats a bit of everything I put in the feeders (layer, starter mash and a fermented grain mix) but only when there are no other chickens around.

I've found the same with heavy moulters; I think they're trying to avoid any jostling, as it hurts with all those pin feathers. Both Maria and Puffin have also benefited from extra mealworms here, and I'm sure your targeted extra protein there will be helping your girls get through it quickly.

 

[MaryJanet]

Piou-piou's nest is brilliant. She couldn't be more camouflaged.

 

[ManueB]

I've found the same with heavy moulters; I think they're trying to avoid any jostling, as it hurts with all those pin feathers. Both Maria and Puffin have also benefited from extra mealworms here, and I'm sure your targeted extra protein there will be helping your girls get through it quickly.

I hope so. It's really terrible to see Nougat cringing like this. I do hope it's only temporary!

Piou-piou's nest is brilliant. She couldn't be more camouflaged.

Yes, it was just luck that my partner happened to see her the first time she laid there because we would never have found it !
I do feel uncomfortable that when she hasn't laid the day before, she starts making a ruckus at 5.30 to go lay, and day light is only around 7. I don't like letting her out of the coop to go alone in the barn in the dark, in case something got in there.
**************
This morning when Nougat came out of the nest, instead of walking on the roost to reach the ramp to go down, she just jumped down on the floor.
It was so sudden and unexpected I didn't have time to catch her. The roost is about 4 feet 2 , not that high, but she fell and seemed dazed for a few minutes. Then after the first half an hour she looked better. She was more mobile today, but she still walks crouching sideways. Her feathers are growing fast.

We made some adjustments to the roost today to help her not falling off. Anyway I’m so afraid she will fall off on her back again that I will make sure to watch her carefully when she goes to roost and when she comes down in the morning.

The chickens stayed inside the yard again today and only Annette seemed really unhappy about it. It's a good timing because we planted some stuff in the garden that needs to be left undug by chickens for a few days ! It was again a beautiful day with warm sunshine and no wind. In the afternoon a bird came by and all the chickens ran to hide. They are not over worrying. Leaves are falling like crazy now so soon they will be very vulnerable without cover.

There was again some bickering between the hens today. Chipie attacked Kara, who backed away. Then Chipie picked a fight with Cannelle ! These two have a history of getting into scrambles, and now Cannelle is very aggressive while she molts.

Gaston was mean to Blanche at roost time again. It was right after Blanche pecked Lulu away and she went to roost elsewhere, so I wonder still if it's not that Gaston wants the younger pullets to roost near him.

Laure’s spots on the wattles seem to be fading, so that's one worry less !

Piou-piou is not happy with me. She really wanted to go dig up those baby winter leeks .

Then she had a lone bath.

But he was close by.

Annette has very dark eyes.

Spoiler: Nougat's feathers are growing.

Merle still has that one feather!

Kara was a pain with the other chickens today. She bullies Blanche all the time !

Mélisse

Léa

Chipie

Cannelle isn't molting as fast as Nougat but she is getting in a rough stage too.

 

[MaryJanet]

I don't like letting her out of the coop to go alone in the barn in the dark, in case something got in there.

I'd worry about that too.

I wonder what's going on with Nougat.

 

[BDutch]

This morning when Nougat came out of the nest, instead of walking on the roost to reach the ramp to go down, she just jumped down on the floor.
It was so sudden and unexpected I didn't have time to catch her. The roost is about 4 feet 2 , not that high, but she fell and seemed dazed for a few minutes. Then after the first half an hour she looked better. She was more mobile today, but she still walks crouching sideways. Her feathers are growing fast.

I find it strange that a chicken really falls from a height like that. Maybe something is wrong with her balance or do you think she fell because she has not enough feathers?
I never had a falling chicken. But I never had a heavily moulting chicken like Nougat either.

 

[MaryJanet]

I have never observed nor read about a connection between heavy moulting and falling over. It's more likely to be a neurological symptom.

 

[MaryJanet]

Maybe she simply lost her balance?

 

[ManueB]

My partner thinks she looses balance because she has no wings left. She also acts extremely scared, which could explain why she jumped down from the roost instead of walking to the ramp and since she has no wing feathers she crashed.
But that doesn't explain the way she crouches when she walks, or the fact that she circles around her destination walking sideways.
I am almost sure it's related to her moult. It is both very hard and very fast. I think it's an unlikely coincidence.