girlclaire771 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Please help. My Gingernut Ranger Twinkle has been loosing feathers from her rear end for the last few weeks. No bullying seems to be going on. Twinkle's bottom is beginning to look really sore and weepy now - quite wet and bedraggled looking. She is still eating and laying and seems ok. What can I do for her? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 If the other hen has a full set of feathers on her posterior, then it is very likely that she is the culprit I'm afraid. I would separate them for a couple of days and apply a soothing cream to Twinkles sore bits. Johnson's Lavender and Tea Tree is excellent, and is available in pet shops fror around three quid. Might be a good idea to inccrease the protein in their diet if feather pecking is the cause, as it is sometimes considered to be a sign of a deficiency. Have you checked for signs of lice or mites? Either would cause the hen to self harm . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
girlclaire771 Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 Thank you for the advice! Gisele (the one with feathers intact) is a bit feisty but I would never have guessed she could be so mean! I haven't seen her pecking Twinkle though - can chickens be sneaky too? Will apply some cream and also check for lice/mites. How do you go about splitting the hens up when you only have one eglu? Free range just one of the girls in the day and put her in a cardboard box in the shed at night? Also what do they like for extra protein? I have been giving them meal worms but they are quite expensive - any other suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Thank you for the advice! Gisele (the one with feathers intact) is a bit feisty but I would never have guessed she could be so mean! I haven't seen her pecking Twinkle though - can chickens be sneaky too? 'Fraid so! Will apply some cream and also check for lice/mites. How do you go about splitting the hens up when you only have one eglu? Free range just one of the girls in the day and put her in a cardboard box in the shed at night? You could do that, but at this time of year there is the ever present danger of a fox attack. You could divide the run with garden canes and just have them in together at night, making sure that the Eglu is very dark. http://club.omlet.co.uk/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=10444 Also what do they like for extra protein? I have been giving them meal worms but they are quite expensive - any other suggestions? Scrambled egg, breeders pellets, tuna (rinsed and dolphin friendly), Unmedicated chick crumbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 It probably isn't, but I'll mention it just in case ......... Vent Gleet. I just did a quick search and there's a thread here on it. It might be worth a quick read, even if it's just to rule it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 One of my chickens is moulting and she started off with a bare bottom. I didn't see any pecking going on until yesterday when I caught the culprit pecking feathers off poor Lily. the lack of feathers in the run made me suspect something other than moulting but I wasn't sure who it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
girlclaire771 Posted January 13, 2010 Author Share Posted January 13, 2010 Thanks for all the advice! The photo of how to use the canes in the Eglu was particularly useful. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
