Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[brambles]

... when you first purchased/ adopted them?

 

Curious!

[scarlettohara]

Mine have all been in perfect condition and all seemed to have stayed that way

[chuckmum6]

Chickens from breeders should be in tip top condition really, however rescue/ex battery can look really shocking but will recover remarkably well with tlc.

[sezra]

I have only bought from a breeder and they were in lovely condition.

 

Have you experienced some problems?

[brambles]

Hmm, yes, I had thought this, so I'm just wondering if I've had too 'country living' a view of what to expect from a large breeders' flock.

They are lovely girls though.

[brambles]

Sezra, they're really beautiful girls, but the cochin and the araucana have been feather pecked across their entire backs and have no tail feathers! The sussex has got off lightly (!) and has mainly been pecked on her bum - only a few feathers missing from her tail.

 

This was attributed to them all being in a large pen with lots of other birds. They had been treated with some smelly gloop and have no cuts, just lots of new feather quills coming through. They were pre-selected and crated for us rather than us going to the run and choosing.

[sezra]

Gosh! That doesn't sound good. I am glad they have new feathers coming through, did they tell you it was from pecking? Just wondered if it could have been moulting?

 

I have no idea where you got them from but it sounds a bit dubious with them being 'pre selected'. By the sounds of it they are very lucky to have found a good home!

[coco]

My Welsummer had a bald patch by her tail from being pecked, the feathers soon grew back though. Apart from that they were in lovely condition.

[Auntie FiFi]

Poor girls - suggest bit of cod liver oil to help regrowth of feathers? Hope they recover soon x

[brambles]

They're not in lay yet, so they shouldn't be moulting - but looking at the red faces I'm sure it won't be long before we have an egg or two.

It's a very reputable supplier,and I've bought from them before, which is why I'm surprised at the state of them. I wondered if I had too rosy a view and thought I'd see what some of the experienced wisdom of omlet thought!

[meezers]

The two I had from wernlas last year were fine, though I did notice some pens with hens missing a few feahers. Not as bad as the place nr Gloucester where I got my Welsummer - also a well run place, I think I had the one chook with a tail and alot of their chooks were missing feathers on their backs as well , wondered if the cockerels had got to them, even though most were still young.

[Patricia W]

Just got 2 perfect 12 week old Aracaunas from Wyle Valley Chickens near Stonehenge. All her chickens are tip top condition.

 

All my others came from friends apart from the ex-bats. Only the ex-bats had feathers missing etc

 

Tricia

[brambles]

Yes, I did wonder if it was an early cockerel romance!

The two 14 week olds I bought last autumn were in perfect condition.

 

I must take some photos of these three - they really are pretty (from the front!!).

[Darren Beaumont]

I got mine from ark birds and bees in Kent. There were lots all freeranging and all looking healthy. When I picked the hens I wanted the breeder checked them over before selling them. I would highly recommend.

[Patricia W]

Cockerels won't be responsible for missing tail feathers. They do sometimes lose feathers on their backs from enthusiastic cockerels but it doesn't happen till they come into lay and it takes time. It sounds as though they've been kept in cramped conditions which encourages feather pecking by other hens. I'm glad you've rescued them - but I would have expected a discount from the price you'd normally pay for POL.

 

Tricia

[brambles]

Bless em they're gorgeous. Yes, a discount was given too- I think they could see we were rather disappointed- we'd booked them weeks ago.

I've just sprayed the Cochin with antipeck as the araucana has pecked her a few times - pecking order issues now there's the three of them. I've got bumper bits if it continues, but haven't much of a clue on how to fit or remove them.