Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[JuliaP]

Help. I am new to chicken keeping!

 

We got 3 lovely new chickens a couple of weeks ago - one, Clementine, was about 20 weeks old then, the other two (Roberta and Phyllis) were about 18 weeks old. Clementine laid an egg on each of her first three days with us but, since then, absolutely nothing. The younger two, who must now be around 20 weeks, have not yet started laying. We decided perhaps we were giving too many treats (marmite on toast every afternoon!) so, for the past 6 days, they have had nothing but layers pellets. They all seem Ok and jolly, and free range for perhaps 4 hours a day. Poos relatively normal (I became obsessed with their poo a week or so ag but have calmed myself down a bit now - worse than having a baby!!) but I have wormed them with Flubenvet just in case, plus they get poultry spice, oyster shells and grit, plus plenty of water. I have cleaned their eglu thoroughly and have put red mite dust down etc.

 

Today, to my horror, Celementine (who must now be around 22 weeks) has shed 20 or more feathers. They are all lovely soft, fluffy feathers so I am praying that this is just the loss of 'baby' feathers or something, and that it might explain lack of eggs recently?!?!

 

They have just gone into their eglu for the night and I am dreading opening it up tomorrow to find a bald Clementine.

 

Can anyone give me any advice on what I might be doing wrong. V worried!

 

Thanks

 

Julia

[Sandychick]

It doesn't sound like you are doing anything wrong! One of mine laid her first egg yesterday and she is 25 weeks, so I wouldn't worry too much about the 2 that haven't started laying yet.

 

Is there any chance Clemantine is being bullied by the other two. Just wondering if they are pulling out her feathers? That might upset her egg laying too. It might not be the case though. There were feathers everywhere from my youngest hen, between 16-20 weeks. It was just some sort of moult she decided to do and now has new feathers and a darker colour I guess she just went for a new look

 

Maybe a good idea to check Clemantine over tomorrow for any bald bits, lice etc and also watch out for any pecking from the others.

[JuliaP]

Thanks Sandychick. I don't think Clementine is being bullied as she seems to be the Queen of the Eglu, and is the one who occasionally has a peck at the other two, in a mildy stroppy, pre-menstrual way! I just pray, therefore, that it is a mini moult, like one of yours had at a similar age.

 

Dreading the morning though - what will I find when I open the Eglu?!?!

[Sandychick]

I'm sure she'll be fine in the morning I remember being quite alarmed at the amount of Willow's feathers around the garden, especially as I hadn't heard of chickens moulting at that age - but she never actually looked like she was missing any