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[mum2boys]

Hi.. bit of advice needed please?

 

I have 3 hens... one has had a "patchy" bit of feathering at the base of her neck for a little while now.. I thought at first she was getting ready to moult but no other signs seen. I noticed today that another hen seemingly overnight.. has a complete bare patch right at the top of her neck below her "ears" and beak.. it looks like she has been plucked

 

is this a typical sign of pecking/bullying?

 

the 3rd hen from what I can see is fine.. so I assume it is her that is doing this?? I would have said she was bottom of the pack but based on the other thread on pecking order, I realise that she is last in at night/first out usually in the morning so maybe I am wrong?

 

what is the best thing for me to do seeing that I don't know for definite who is the culprit - should I get a bumper bit (knowing I won't get it before christmas)???

 

thanks M2B

[Guest]

IMO, things like bumper bits and anti peck spray etc should be a last resort, not a first one. There must be a reason she's feather plucking, it could be diet related or it could be bullying brought on by lack of space or boredom.

 

What's your set up like? what do you feed them and how much? Are the girls in a run or do they free range? I'd need more info in order to advise you

[mum2boys]

thanks for your reply ok:

 

3 hens - house and run (can't remember exact size but as it is as long as an eglu and run but wider! and they can get under the house. The run is covered over with plastic so they are dry whatever the weather), they are let out 7.30-8am with a bowl of treats (leftovers or mash) and have water and feeder (with pellets mainly and I sprinkle in grit) in the run, they range the garden till 8.30 then are shut back in the run. They then come out when I get home (which could be 9.05 (5-6 days a week) or occasionally in the run for longer depending on what I am doing), they get shut in for afternoon school run and then let out when we get home.

 

During the winter they are shut in their run at 4pm (otherwise they set the outside light off on the movement sensor and won't go to bed!!), in the summer it is about 8-9pm depending on what I am doing).

 

They have easibed flooring in the run, a dustbath and perches. I hang up veg such as broccoli etc for them to peck at. They have CD's hanging down but seem to show no interest. In the garden they have a gravel patch they can dig up, 2 dustbaths (flowerpots with compost), a bench to perch on, they wiggle down the side of the run or down the sides of the greenhouse and currently they have a patch of garden that they can scratch in. We have no lawn.

 

When shut away they have raisins or corn or such like spread round the run for them to hunt for. They follow us everywhere when one of us is outside and they love to get in the garage - lots of spaces for them to search and I let them go in when I am outside but don't tell dh In the summer I am outside as much as possible as are the children but this time of year I am not outside as much.

 

 

edited to add that the run door is always open when I am home so they have access to wherever they want

[Guest]

they have plenty of space and entertainment while they're in the run by the sound of it so it doesn't sound like lack of space or boredom.

 

If you feed pellets, you might consider changing to layers mash as it takes them longer to fill up on mash and keeps them busier.

 

Have you ever seen any signs of feather pecking while they're together in the run?

 

It's unlikely it will be happening overnight as, once they're in darkness, they're not normally agressive towards each other.

 

Have you checked them for mites, just in case it's an irritation causing the feather loss?

 

If it's not mites then I think I would try swapping to layers mash and possibly try some ukadex or another anti feather peck spray. I'm not a big fan of bumper bits and personally would only use them as a last resort or if there was blood being drawn.

 

can't think of anything else just now but maybe someone else will suggest something I might have missed.

 

 

good luck

[mum2boys]

I have never seen any pecking...

 

hadn't thought of mites... we did have a problem over the summer but I thought I had eradicated that... will check tomorrow and have a look for some more mite stuff.. are red mites active all year or could I be looking at something else?

 

am due to get another bag of food this week so will swop onto mash anyway - if it keeps them busier for longer then surely that is a good thing anyway and we are away for christmas so they will be confined to their run (with twice daily visits) so i'd prefer to know they are kept busy!

 

 

thanks for your help much appreciated!

[Guest]

you're welcome

 

check the base of the feathers for anything tiny that's crawling or moving. I'm not sure if red mite are still active at this time of year but there are other mites/lice that birds can pick up so have a good look around the base of the feathers.

[Egluntyne]

Are you certain that this isn't just a mini moult. The area you describe is pretty typical.

 

You are unlikely to see redmite actually on the hen, as it feeds on the birs at night and retreats back to its hiding place during the day.

 

Always worth checking the housing for signs though. Cigarette ashy looking deposits suggest mites which haven't fed, tiny red blobs suggest mites which have.

 

Lice will be easier to spot and the base of the feathers, especially around the vent will have clusters of eggs cemented to them.

 

Have a look at **this article** for some useful info.

[mum2boys]

i've only had the girls a year (almost!) so am not sure whether this is a moult or not...

 

haven't seen signs of red mite recently - we were infested this summer... but will have a good look tomorrow

[Guest]

can you post some photos of the girls? I'm sure someone who knows more about moulting might be able to advise you. My girls, as far as I know, have never moulted because we got ex batts (so they'd already gone thru the moult) and our other girls are too young to have moulted yet so I don't know what the signs of a moult are.

[mum2boys]

can you post some photos of the girls? I'm sure someone who knows more about moulting might be able to advise you. My girls, as far as I know, have never moulted because we got ex batts (so they'd already gone thru the moult) and our other girls are too young to have moulted yet so I don't know what the signs of a moult are.

 

good idea - light and time permitting I will take photos tomorrow

 

 

 

thank you everyone for your replies - much appreciated