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

[Jac and Rory]

Marbles is a 2 1/2 year old Black Rock who recently started her first all over moult. She's at the part chicken, part hedgehog stage and it's been very quick so far with feathers appearing to grow back immediately after they fall out. She's stopped laying and her face and comb are looking pink rather than her normal red. At night she has started roosting in the nest box (I assume she's feeling the draughts ).

 

Yesterday when I let her out her movements looked odd, moving sideways and crouching a lot, but by lunchtime she was back to normal. The odd movements returned this morning and she was looking quite "drunk" around her legs. Her eyes are bright, she holds her head normally, I can't see any lice and she's eating wih enthusiasm pecking at a hanging broccoli and targetting mealworms with normal accuracy. Her movement has again improved during the day and she's obviously made it up the ladder into the Cube and nest box without a problem.

 

I put ACV and garlic in the water every day but will start using the Nettex Total Moulting Solution tomorrow (I used it in July for Anna who took forever to moult).

 

Overall, she is very much not herself - she's normally head girl but now she acts like she's bottom of the pecking order but I guess that may be normal for moulting.

 

I've had a look at various posts on the Forum and it could be similar to the moonwalking problem although her head is entirely normal. Do you think it could just be a consequence of the major effort of regrowing feathers so quicly? (she says hopefully) Or perhaps something that needs more investigation? Or maybe she's just an exhausted little hybrid having laid an egg almost every day for about 18 months? Anyone know how long prolific egg-laying Black Rocks normally live?

[juliepops148]

Hi there, I've also posted in the other thread on moonwalking looking for some advice like you. I've been out and bought nettex moulting solution this morning, and added garlic to the water. My hen seems to be worse in the morning like yours but seems to get better throughout the day - hoping its just a bit of a deficiency and effects of moulting. She's also my smallest / skinniest, so in the meantime giving them more interesting food (peas, rice), plus the supplements described.

I'll keep you posted how I get on - good luck with yours

Julie

[redhotchick]

Hi!

Bella my beautiful black rock is moulting. There are a lot of feathers around, but no noticeable bald patches and her new feathers are coming through, she looks scruffy to say the least! Bless her. She is exhibiting the "drunk legs" that you describe here. I've put a hefty dose of tonic in her water (as instructions on pack) and I've been feeding her a handful of mealworms. Once or twice a day. I'll give her some tuna tomorrow, isn't protein supposed to help them during a moult?

I opened her run earlier to let her out and she made what sounded like a growling noise, quite loud! She wasn't keen to go out, so I just locked her up again. I thought it was safest as she was very unsteady anyway.

I hope she's OK.

[Jac and Rory]

Many thanks for sharing. It's always comforting to know that what's happening may be within the realms of normal! Today is day 4 since the drunk legs appeared and this morning it wasn't as bad as the previous mornings and so I'm very hopefuly it's all temporary due to moutling. I began to wonder if it's connected to loosing her wing feathers - would that give her balance problems? Meanwhile it is day 2 of the Total Moutling Solutions but I never can tell if these things make the difference or if nature just taking its course...

[PeckyBeak]

My Black Rock is 3 and frightened me the first time she did the strange neck and swaying movements, she and one of the others also had a strange crouching walk, like a human walking with bent knees!

[redhotchick]

Hello, It's interesting that you mention wing feathers, Bella has moulted before, but not this fast and I didn't notice so many wing feathers going last time. She is 4 years old. Bella was up and down today. She seemed ok for a while and then her legs would wobble and collapse again. I'm giving her meal worms and corn, for protein and energy. Tomorrow I'm going to mix some oats with some watered down tonic, I'm not sure she is drinking enough, so it will get some more fluid into her.

Hope Marbles is OK, and your hen too Juliepops.

[Jac and Rory]

Well, a week later and Marlbes appears to be entirely back to normal in legs/movement department. Still looking very scruffy but a lot of her wing feathers have grown back and she's back to being head girl. It does sound like it must all be related to fast moulting. I've since read hybrids are supposed to go for a fast moult - my other Black Rocks must be the exceptions that prove the rule! Hope the other little "drunks" have recovered now too...

[redhotchick]

Hi! Bella is a lot steadier now too. A little way to go yet before she is back to full plumage though! x

[The Dogmother]

You're probably right, it sounds like a similar thing to me. The total moulting solutions product ought to do the trick, but if she seems really out of sorts then give her a couple of shots of their Nutri-drops - fantastic stuff and contains loads of B vitamins, so ought to help her.

 

I'd also add some scrambled egg to their diet.