K-F-C Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 KiKi and CiCi (Pepperpots) have lost feathers on their underside and a little off their legs. FiFi (the Amber Star) has no bald patches, but does seem a little 'tatty'; her feathers have gone quite fluffy, lost their sheen and she looks permanatly 'windswept'. All three, lay an egg, almost without fail, on a daily basis - and have been doing so all through the winter. The run got quite water logged in the bad weather and this all started then... about a month ago I lifted the run flooring up (rubber chippings); put down a bed of gravel and covered it with slabs (before, they were just on weed membrane)... since doing this, and due to the better weather, the run is now draining much better... However, the chickens feather situation does not seem to be getting any better (in CiCi's case it has gotton worse) despite adding more poultry spice, chicken tonic (both liquid and pellets) to their feed. I clean the cube thoroughly once a week and put down new aubiose and dust with diatom. I have put louse powder on the chickens, scaly leg pray and frontline. Can anyone, please, tell me: a) the likely cause? b) what else can I do to try and cure the problem? c) how long it should take before they are back to their good old selves? Thanks x KiKi KiKi CiCi CiCi FiFi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 As its all on the underside i'd speculate that its something to do with their roosting, could be: They roost in the nest box and the bedding is irritating them in some way They roost in the nest box and lack of airflow to their underside is causing them to get hot and sweaty If they dont roost in the nest box the bedding under the cube bars could be deep and causes lack of airflow again Lice like warm sweaty skin so maybe that could be a problem If it was me and I had a secure run I would leave the cube door open all the time and block off the nest box at night (of course you may already do this!) add a tonic to their food or water and see if things improve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-F-C Posted March 21, 2010 Author Share Posted March 21, 2010 That'll probably be it... when I first got them I used to go out, just before I went to bed, shut the cube door and turf them out of the nesting box. I've gotton lazy and leave the cube door open now, so they will be sleeping in the nest box. (I find that if I go to turf them out whilst the cube door is open, then the first one I turf out will come down the ladder into the run and because it is dark I fear they will not find their way back in again.) I don't like to block off the nest box because two of them tend to lay very early in the morning. (I get up between 6:30 and 7am and there is usually two eggs waiting for me.) They have aubiouse down, so I'm guessing that should not irritate too much; so it is probably they they are getting too hot all snuggled up together... I'll go back to turfing them out before I go to bed and opening the cube door in the morning. Thanks for your help x How long do you think it should be, before I see signs of improvement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 I'd reckon it will be a few weeks before you see any improvement Your plan sounds like a good one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 The skin does not look irritated. I recommend using some Flowers of Sulphur in cream as it has done wonders for mine. Barry was really irritated by hemcore and had lost all of her feathers from her belly and bum. They are now 90% regrown - I was never sure if she was allergic to the hemocre or had depluming mite. I stopped using hemcore and applied flowers of sulphur and the feathers have regrown and she is looking good again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
