Smart Feeder - Light sensor values

[Embilly]

Hello All,

 

I have 3 chickens - 2 rescue ex bats (now been with me about 8 months), and a speckledy (who was POL at the same time).

 

One of the ex bats is now fully feathered, and doing well. But the other Po, has a couple of things I am worried about.

 

The last few weeks she seems to be getting more 'scraggy' looking. I can't see any sign of a moult, but all her fluffy back leg feathers are gone, and the skin looks red and sore. I'm not sure she hasn't also lost more feathers on her neck.

 

She is happy in herself, eating, laying, running around etc. This morning I have sprayed her with purple spray, but would appreciate any other advice.

 

Also, earlier today she was squauking really loudly (she is normally quite a noisy hen but this was really loud). I ran out in case something was in the garden - but no sign of anything other than my cat which she is well used to. She continued squauking, then starting making a funny noise, a bit like she had lost her voice. She is now making sort of humming and chucking noises, neither of which i've heard before and some noises a bit like a duck! Could she have hurt her throat?

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks

 

[sjp]

the feather loss could be down to feather pecking/eating either by one of the other girls or herself

the squauking could be that she has,is about to or thourght she has laid an egg or got kicked out of the nest box I've got 2 a speckled sussex and her daughter that do that and both have ended up squauking until they are horse

[Embilly]

Thanks SJP - I've not seen any feather pecking, but I don't watch them all the time. Hopefully the purple spray will put them/her off if that is the case (I have anti peck - I could put some of that on too).

 

She is always noisy laying an egg. And she has laid one since the loud squawking - the others were out of the run at the time but maybe something disturbed her starting to lay and made her cross!.