4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Silkiemum]

Can anyone advise if this if normal.

 

My youngest Silkie, Phoebe, seems to be losing lots of feathers:both the run and Eglu are full of them every day. Her plumage differs in texture and colour from the other two so I can be pretty sure that these are her feathers. There are none -or next to no feathers- from the other two. I have to say that there are no discernible bald patches on her despite it looking like there has been a pillow fight in the run sometimes ... her plummage looks fine as far as I can tell (though as we are still in the getting-to-know-you stage, we have not managed to pick her up to have a closer proper look as yet...).

 

What possible explanations are there for this?

(i) Is this normal for her age etc (do chickens lose their juvenile feathers as they grow up?)

(ii)Stress or illness? (or parasites???)

(iii) Are the feathers being pecked out (she is definitely bottom of the pecking order and Rachel is merciless with her when food treats are dished out)

 

She is ever so slightly smaller than the other two being slightly younger and I do worry about her. Would be grateful for any ideas or advice.

 

Many thanks,

 

 

Mother to Monica, Rachel and Phoebe

 

[beach chick]

how old is she? mine didnt moult til into their 2nd year... but they do look dreadful when they're doing it!

 

otherwise, maybe you could try some anti-peck spray if she's being bullied (Johnsons I think it is, available from pet shops etc) - it's helped my legbar who is the world's wussiest chicken.

[chocchick]

It is normal for a chicken particularly pure breed to moult and they don't necessarily all moult at once. I can't remember the dates (Summer-Autumn roughly) but August is within the range to do this, and it's not far off August. Mine moulted in Winter! The nest and eglu run was just coated in feathers, then eventually she became bald in several areas. From your description it sounds like a moult from the layer of feathers. It may only be a partial moult if she doesn't go bald as they have an amazing number of feathers and can lose a lot.

http://sarah.blog.urbanchicken.org.uk/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=217&blogId=1

Feathers in run

http://sarah.blog.urbanchicken.org.uk/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=214&blogId=1