Omlet Smart Autodoor - New in box

[Mercedes55]

All of our pure breeds are being plucked, we think by one of our ex batts, but not sure which one. We only have 3 ex batts now as we lost one back at Easter and all 3 of them are fine featherwise compared to our pure breeds. Our Lavender Aracauna was the first to start being plucked and despite using sprays and creams her head and neck are now totally bald and I could cry everytime I look at her. Now we have noticed that our Salmon Favorelle is rapidly going the same way as although till recently it was just her neck that was bald, over the last few days the feather loss on the back of her head is very noticeable and I am worried she will end up totally bald too. Both of these girls are lowest in the pecking order. The other 2 pure breeds also have a few feathers missing on the backs of their necks, but nothing too bad.

 

They have a huge run that is 24ft by 7ft with all different levels and plenty of things to keep them occupied all day. They have access all day long to a separate run that has a soil base with shrubs in it that is about 15ft by 6ft, so I'm sure they aren't lacking space.

 

I don't think they have lice or anything like that as I would have thought they would all be affected as they all sleep cuddled up together and I would have thought it would have spread to them all by now. We do put Diatom in their Cube and also Poultry Shield so assume that is enough to keep down any parasites.

 

They have plenty of protein in their diet and are on a good quality pellet with treats of greens and sweetcorn, so I don't think they are lacking in anything.

 

So today, at my wits end, I have asked my OH to separate the ex batts from the pure breeds in the hope that they can have the chance to grown back their feathers. I have no idea if I am doing the right thing or not as it took 6wks to integrate them last September when we bought the new girls, but the poor things are only just a year old and I just feel terrible seeing them look so awful

[laurmurf]

after a temporary separation if you can find out which of the ex-batts it is then you could bumper bit her - or even bumper bit the lot of ex batts and not separate them. It doesn't always cure the feather plucking but it does make it more difficult.

 

feather plucking is known in some breeds and it is a habit, not just their environment (yours sounds FAB by the way!)

[Mercedes55]

This is a pic of her that I just took, I could cry when I look at her

[witzend]

poor thing- hope you sort it asap xx

[Eggasperated]

What a shame - I really feel for you (and her). I have an ongoing feather plucking problem but it has not extended to whole heads.

I think separating them is a good thing to do especially if they are still within clear sight of one another as hopefully this would minimise reintroduction problems. If you can clearly identify the culprit isolation for her followed by a bumper bit may solve the problem but my chief plucker still pulls feathers out even with her bumper bit.

I hope you can resolve this as it's so sad to see a once beautiful hen in that state.

[Mercedes55]

Well we had the hens separated for only a few hours and then had to take the barrier down as our Welsummer wouldn't stop bocking as she was obviously going broody, which we hadn't realised, so she has now made the Eglu her home and the ex batts are back with the other 4 pure breeds in the Cube.

 

However I have over the last couple of days made a point of sitting and watching them all and it's Coco, who is the lowest in the pecking order of the ex batts, who is doing the plucking. Yesterday and today she has gone into the back run and gone up to both our Araucana and Favorelle while they have been sitting in the sun and just stood over them and pulled feather after feather.

 

I phoned the BHWT and they have suggested separating her, which is not going to be easy as our Welsummer will most likely go mad if we take the Eglu out or partition the run again and I don't have anything else to put Coco in. I don't want to go down the road of using bumper bits as they seem a bit barbaric to me, so will have to find some other way of separating her or even rehoming her if I can't solve the situation

[Eggasperated]

One of my original 3 Black Rocks was rehomed because of aggressive feather plucking but as I explained above I do still have it in the flock as it almost seems they learned to be pluckers after being plucked (I think that makes sense), however this is less aggressive and more bearable.

Separation would really still be the ideal, if it can be done, to try and cure it but it sounds as if your other girls are quite passive about being plucked and I know from experience with my original plucker, Pippa,that this is more difficult to overcome.

Hope you find a solution soon.

[witzend]

would quick sprays of water help stop her plucking?? It works with naughty dogs - but don't yet have any chooks to try it on!!

[Mercedes55]

The 2 girls being plucked are both bottom of the pecking order. Our Aracauna being the smallest gets picked on and our Favorelle being the biggest gets picked on too. Although our Cream Legbar and Welsummer have a few feathers missing on the back of their necks you really have to look closely to notice, so I guess for now they are both okay.

 

I am so not having a good time with it all lately, what with the Welsummer now being broody and then about half an hour ago I saw a snake outside the run. Never having seen a snake in the wild before it really stopped me in my tracks

[scarlettohara]

I would separate the ex batts - can they go in the soil run with access to the the eglu Shut the Welsummer out of the cube or make a broody cage for her (use a dog crate on bricks with the roosting bars from the eglu, the ex batts don't need to perch).

[Mercedes55]

I would separate the ex batts - can they go in the soil run with access to the the eglu Shut the Welsummer out of the cube or make a broody cage for her (use a dog crate on bricks with the roosting bars from the eglu, the ex batts don't need to perch).

 

Well I will have to do something yes, or I am going to end up with all my pure breeds being bald

 

The Eglu and the Cube are both in the main run, they have a tunnel from the back of that to the soil run. We can't access that very well as it's just built around existing shrubs, so although the Eglu would just about fit in it, I wouldn't be able to clean it out as I can't get inside the run. I guess we could just go back to how we were on Sunday and partition the main run and have the ex batts in one bit and the pure breeds in the other. I do like to let them have access to the soil run as they do seem to enjoy digging around a lot more than the ex batts, who all seem quite happy scratching around in the rapport.

 

We don't have a dog crate, but I will have a look online to see if I can find a reasonable one. Good idea about the roosting bars from the Eglu