Unsecure chicken perches

[mimi5]

Hi all!

 

So I've nearly reached my 1st year anniversary of chicken keeping.....and my steep learning curve continues!!!

 

Milly my sliver partridge pekin I think has gone in to her moult. Monty my pekin cockerel has been loosing feathers steadily for a couple of weeks, but Milly just started yesterday. She seemded a little quiet/subdued (she is normal a noisy madam, but seems well otherwise!) and had lost quite a few feathers, but today they are just falling off her!!!! The run was littered with mostly her feathers. Molly my gold partridge is also loosing feathers but not as dramtically. The are all over a year now and the girls both raised chicks earlier on and had smaller moults after (Molly more than Milly)

 

So does this sound normal?? Is it a little early?? Mine and their 1st moult, so not sure what's "normal" Also Milly seems a little off her food, but I know moulting takes it out of them. So any advice / suggestions?? They are on fancy feed layers pellets and a little mixed corn, half an apple, or greens and a little quail food as a treat (a few mealworms twice a week)

 

Oh and I've been adding some of the net-tex tonic to their water since Monty started to loose feathers.

 

Thanks!

[Daphne]

It all sounds perfectly normal Its not too early The good news is that they say the faster a bird sheds its feathers, the better the layer it is - I've never tested this theory but lets hope its true for you

 

I wouldn't do anything else, some people feed a bit of rinsed tuna or cat food to help them through the moult, but I just give mine some tonic in the water from time to time and let them get on with it. Moulting can really take it out of a bird and its quite normal for them to go quiet, pale and quite lethargic. Just keep an eye in case this state of affairs masks something else, but normally they get through it with no problems at all