Chicken bald back

[mrs chook]

Recently our older chook Bertha was being picked on so I separated the bully on advice from here and now they're back together everything has thankfully been ok.

 

The only problem is Bertha is now on a hyper-moult, she looks utterly pathetic

 

I went up this afternoon and her comb was looking affected by the cold (darker tinge to it) to so have decided to bring her into the garage in an eglu and run of her own, complete with extra straw in eglu and extra vaseline on comb.

 

What I want to know is-

 

Is this normal to moult SO much in winter?

 

Am I creating a potential problem with reintroducing her in the near future after just getting things settled?

 

She is quite an old lady now and seems to be low (2 or 3/3) on the pecking order, so I don't mind keeping her in her own eglu and run outside near the W.I.R. if needs be, I just couldn't leave her out again looking like that as we live in North Yorkshire and have about 6 inches of snow here.

 

Thanks for any advice, excuse long post too

[Plum]

Hi, not seen you on here for a bit

 

It seems to be normal to moult like this now silly birds. Just a thought why don't you bring them all in so that they stay united. This rotten cold can't last for ever.

[Sandychick]

I'm wondering if she would be warmer outside with the others at night? They seem to generate a lot of heat between them when they are all heaped up together. She might benefit from the others feathers! Maybe a compromise would work, where she could be with the others at night, and in her luxury warm eglu in the day? That way they would still be used to her.

[mrs chook]

I wondered that. Maybe I could put a vest on her or something??? It's just she looks virtually plucked at the moment and being an oldy I didn't want her to get too run down and cold and not recover

 

She seems fine in herself, just about half her feathery size!!!!

 

The temperature is barely climbing above zero at the moment with night temps of approx. -5C

[laurmurf]

Hi from York!

we've got one just like this and one on her way: NAKED in this weather

 

We're dosing with nutridrops and warm porridge, good luck with yours and hope she re-feathers soon.

[mrs chook]

Aw no, daft birds aren't they???

 

Thanks for that, I am glad in a way to hear other girls are doing the same and it's not something else wrong. There is some new growth so hopefully not too long now

 

Margot, my Speckledy has recovered from a moult just in time to beat this weather, brrrrr!

 

I'm in Pickering by the way, about 6 inches of snow has fallen here.

[Carol U]

Yes, it is perfectly normal for them to moult at this time of year - seems mad I know

One of mine looks almost oven-ready! However, they will all cuddle up together at night and if you're worried, as Plum suggested, I think it would be kinder to bring them all in. She would probably find the isolation worse than the cold. Good luck with it.

[mrs chook]

After a night in the garage I carried her up and put her in the w i r just before I let the others out then she got chased straight into the eglu by 2nd in command, so it appears she's now 3rd out of 3 poor love, hope she will adjust after the 1st in command has just finished this kind of behaviour!!! grrrrr!! Never a dull moment!