3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[robbo100]

I got 4 POL hybrid hens about 10 weeks ago.

 

Shortly after getting them, one of them (Sarah - a Goldline) was quite ill for a couple of weeks and lost a lot of weight (never tracked down what it was exactly). She recovered eventually and has started to put weight back on now (albeit she is quite a lot smaller than the other three).

 

The other 3 birds have been laying now (although it is a little sporadic with the colder weather) and I am getting an average of about a dozen eggs per week from the 3 birds. However Sarah is still yet to mature to lay any eggs (although her face is becoming redder and her comb is growing a bit bigger now).

 

In the last 2-3 weeks however Sarah has started to loose feathers (a few loose in the house each morning) and her neck is looking a little sparce in places, making her look a little bedraggled.

 

In the last day or two she seems to refuse to perch when the birds go into the house to roost of an evening, tending to sit on the floor under the other birds (where they can poo on her ) or sitting in one of the nest boxes. I am having to put her on the perch myself every night to keep her tidy.

 

There are no signs of issues in any of the other birds (other than a slightly sporadic laying pattern), and there is no evidence of mites, or bullying at all when I watch them in the run during the day (and if I look at them in the house at night (before the perching issue) they are normally huddled up together sharing warmth).

 

I have 5 questions:

 

1) Is it reasonable to assume that the illness has slowed up her maturity and that she will get there in the end?

2) Does this sound like a partial moult? If so, is this unusual for such a young bird and could this have been triggered by the stress of the illness?

3) Is the refusal to perch indicitive of any problem which I should be aware of?

4) Could the perching problem be associated with moulting or any other normal behaviour?

5) Rather than a moult, could it be that she is being bullied by the other birds and staying off the perch (so as to stay low on the pecking order?)

 

Thanks in advance

 

Robbo100

[Redwing]

1) yes absolutely, this is almost certainly the answer

2) its normal for young hen sto have a partial 'mini' moult and the stress of the illness wont have helped

3) I'm not sure on this one, some hens just prefer to snuggle not perch

4) I dont think so - check the perch ends for red mite though

5) It could be a bullying problem yes, if there is no obvious aggression then I'd leave them to it

[robbo100]

Thanks Redwing.

 

I will double check for redmite.

 

Ultimately they seem happy enough, have plenty of space. She is always the last out of the house in the morning so maybe she is just a bit of a lazy bird . I will get some vitamin supplements to help her through the moult.

 

Robbo100