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

[emmat]

Hi all

 

As always I am after help on a lack of feathers kind of situation...

 

We have 3 Omlet gingernuts. 2 have bald bums at the hand of the 3rd, or themselves, not quite sure. We've treated them for lice, mites, red mite etc... But they just keep plucking. They're happy though, they eat, drink, lay, free range with no issues.

 

Now the 3rd one (it's worth mentioning she is a real runt - very small, very light, scrawny with different feathers and a bit stupid to say the least - she will try and exit the run by walking into the side of it repeatedly) has a bald patch on her front. It starts on her chest and runs under her wings. Thing is it's not red or sore and doesn't look plucked like the other 2 bums. It's just got no feathers and looks abit oven-ready!

 

Any ideas? She's eating, laying etc and seems happy. Though as I say, she's daft and very noisey with it!

 

Help

[Plum]

Poor thing I bet she's your favourite.

 

Do you find the feathers? she could be pulling them out to nest. Need to have words with her about the others knickers. She could have a dietery deficiency and been eating their feathers to get more nutrients and then started on her own.

 

Perhaps giving her/them a supplement like poultry spice might help but guess after a bit it is just a habit. Would it be worth putting a beak bit on her to stop pecking and see what happens. Another thing is no 3 could just be moulting + pecking the others feathers

[emmat]

Thanks for this, I contacted the lovely Barbara too. She suggested several things but I recon it's the diet thing as all feathers are eaten.

 

I am going to introduce some greens (they ate all the grass already) and stop so many corn treats and give extra protein for a while and see what happens. Also just bought some grit and tonic which will help I hope.

 

Thanks!

[Plum]

Barbara is good isn't she