Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[djmissj]

Hi all, I keep 4 hybrid hens. All of them around a year old ( I have been keeping hens for 3 years now)

 

I've noticed since the summer that- all of their feathers around the base of the neck are becoming shorter and more scruffy looking. As if something had been chewing the feathers so they have lost their shape.

 

Its particularly noticeable when they come out of the coop in the mornings, until they preen, their neck feathers stick up like little hoods....quite comical but they do look quite scruffy and not in the best condition

 

Now I've checked for lice, ( only on 1 hen did I see 1 small brown louse so I louse powdered them all.) There is no red mite in my coop, I regularly do night time checks with a torch and use generous amounts of diatom and have never had a red mite issue * touch wood heaven forbid*

Now the next thing is could it be one of the other hens pulling/shredding the others feathers. Trouble is they all have the same problem, I can't see one hen that hasn't got this issue!

 

All of the hens are reguarly wormed with Flubey, have good appetites, laying well, good droppings and are otherwise in tip top shape. Everyday the feathers seem to get worse and I am at a loss as what to do???

 

Any idea's please?

[Egluntyne]

Sounds like a moult. Some of mine are looking a bit scruffy at the moment.

[Plum]

Could they be reaching through wire

[redsunset]

Two of mine had this in the last few weeks (both had been broody over the summer). They looked weird with no neck feathers but very quickly the new quills came in (looked like white tubes) and now they are almost back to normal. Don't know if the broody thing had anything to do with it or was it a semi moult?

[Plum]

Mine seem to start with neck moult

[sjp]

Two of mine had this in the last few weeks (both had been broody over the summer). They looked weird with no neck feathers but very quickly the new quills came in (looked like white tubes) and now they are almost back to normal. Don't know if the broody thing had anything to do with it or was it a semi moult?

 

broodiness certainly triggers a moult mainly a small one but it can be a big moult but my broodies tend to start with the tail but I think that's main because the chicks seem to peck at the tail more. a full moult does seem to start with the head/ neck more than half of my mob are moulting at the moment what with wanabe and failed broodies, chicks and growers plus most of the 1-2 year old birds the garden looks like an explosion in a pillow factory but the moult does seem to be early this year

[redsunset]

Dreading a full on moult now especially as I have 26 chooks! Be like an explosion in a quilt factory!!!! my original 4 who will be 2 around January have never had a moult, all the rest are this yrs chooks so I guess I may be lucky for another year with 24 of them at least???

[Lulabellx1]

Sounds like the start of a moult. One of my ex-bat's has started a full blown moult this week. She looks very scraggy bless her! I'm hoping the others don't follow suit! x

[Sandychick]

Dreading a full on moult now especially as I have 26 chooks! Be like an explosion in a quilt factory!!!!

 

[djmissj]

Hi All

 

I don't think its the moult as the feathers are not falling out? And I thought they didn't moult until their second year (they are nearly all 1 years old)

 

Literally their feathers looked chewed at the ends, all threadbare, they still have lots of feathers around the neck but the feathers are becoming shorter as if they are being chewed upwards!!

 

They have no wire to get there heads through. Its alomst as if one of the hens is going around over preening them all, but all the hens have the same thing, and I've watched them all morning without them knowing, and I can't see any feather stripping going on.

 

Really am at a loss!!