Is your dog's unusual barking a secret code for something mysterious?

[l_ouise]

I bought some POL hens, must have been about 14 months ago.

 

I have three and they have been very good layers and problem free, no trouble with them at all.

 

They are housed in an Eglu and we clean them out once every week or fortnight, depending on how dirty it is.

 

They get the free run of our large, slightly over grown, garden. They also happily mingle with our dogs.

 

I feed them on the same pellets i always have, with the occaional handful of grain and sometimes mealworms.

 

I'm not too sure on the pecking order, they have always got on very well with each other and still do. They are all confident birds, but in different ways. They are very complimentary to each other.

 

Pepsi, however, has now suddenly decided to pluck all the feathers from her breast bone. It's about a couple of inches large now this patch. I suspect it has been going on for a month or two, i had noticed a couple of feathers out of place.

 

I can't find any mites or beasties, but we gave her a dusting anyway.

 

I don't know how to find the cause of the plucking and how to know whether or not she has stopped... any advice?

[fluffy chick]

As long as the chicken is feeding well and happy in every other way I wouldn't worry for now. It could be a mini moult, or sometimes birds do this before going broody.

[Egluntyne]

Maybe she is on the brink of going broody?

[percy049]

Hens pull their brest feathers out when they go broody, so the eggs are closer to their skin, to maintain a betetr temperature.

[scarlettohara]

Sounds broody, tea tree oil cream soothes if the area is red and sore