Wookie Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 Ok, so not strictly gamekeeping related, but one of our chickens is worrying me slightly. She's losing weight, not laying and has also started to shed quite a few feathers. In fact, her rear end is bald, albeit with what I think are quills coming through. She's always been a decent layer and she's still eating and not complaining much when she's handled, which makes this all the more worrying for us. So, does anyone have any ideas on what it could be? Worms? Red mite? (even though there is no sign of them in the coop) something else? Cheers all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbo Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 isit like a razor blade? if so its most likely worms knock it on the head drugs are far to expensive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digdeep Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 Cocci makes them loose weight? could be that. Whats the droppings like? If there like water, then the chances are its a bacterial infection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted October 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 (edited) She's still got a bit of weight to her, she just seems to be a lots less meaty than our other one. Would worms account for the feather loss as well? Killing her is not an option... Mrs. Wookie would not be a happy camper if I suggested that. Droppings look normal. No splashes where she normally perches Edited October 25, 2009 by Wookie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 Sounds like red mite, ours lost feathers, stopped laying with a treatment of powdery stuff on their feathers (weekly) and the coop pressure washed out and sprayed with a red mite killing potion (again weekly) after about 4 weeks they were back to normal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbo Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 (edited) Sounds like red mite, ours lost feathers, stopped laying with a treatment of powdery stuff on their feathers (weekly) and the coop pressure washed out and sprayed with a red mite killing potion (again weekly) after about 4 weeks they were back to normal exactly what he says an if its her in doors loves chook chool you could maybe find some baycox from a keeper that rears his own birds ? Edited October 25, 2009 by bobbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawi72uk Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 (edited) Check if her crop if its hard she could have sour crop one of ours had it but died chickens just seem fine one day and go down almost overnight ours were fine with some sunflower oil dropped down there mouth but when we got a grip of there health we used poultry vitamins and a some columbine spray its for racing pigeons but if you spray under each wing you can see the mites falling of its really good Edited October 25, 2009 by shawi72uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonevo Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 whatever the problem, put her in solitary as the other birds may get the same better to have 1 sick bird than all of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1966 Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 about three of mine are moulting at the minute, feathers everywhere plus they stop laying during moullt could it be that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 Wookie, Drop beatingisbest a PM. He is a mod on some chicken forums and knows his onions when it comes to poultry and game birds. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 I would say she is just moulting, most chickens go off lay during winter. If it was redmite she wouldnt really be losing feathers, she wouldnt want to go into her house at night and all of the birds would have them. If my memory serves me correctly is she an ex battery/hybrid? If so they tend not too live for very long anyway. Could the other birds be bullying her also? Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted October 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 She's a hybrid rather than an ex-layer, a Goldline if memory serves. She's not being bullied either... we only have two chickens and they get along reasonably well (unless corn on the cob is involved, then they have words...) Ok, so it may be a moult... I'll monitor the situation and see what happens in a week or so. Any advice on supplements in the meantime? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted October 26, 2009 Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 best supplement I can think of is sage and onion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted October 26, 2009 Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 (edited) She's a hybrid rather than an ex-layer, a Goldline if memory serves. She's not being bullied either... we only have two chickens and they get along reasonably well (unless corn on the cob is involved, then they have words...) Ok, so it may be a moult... I'll monitor the situation and see what happens in a week or so. Any advice on supplements in the meantime? Chickens do look a bit baldy when going through their moult,but they also tend to loose weight the older they get.Try offering toast smeared in Marmite (im being serious-they love it!) several times a week as this helps boost them up. Worms would have been my first thought though where weight loss is concerned-i use Flubenvet on mine every 6 months.See here. I put a small pinch of it inside a cherry tomato and give them one each every day for 7 days.On a normal dosage you dont need to withold eggs either so they wont get waisted. I know you're not that far from me Wookie so if you want some Flubenvet-i'll give you some for free. Edited October 26, 2009 by Imperfection Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted October 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 Cheers for the advice everyone (apart from the suggestion of sage and onion... Mrs. Wookie didn't like that one!). She's had some toast and marmite tonight and seems to like it, so that might form a bit of a treat for them both long term. I might get some strange looks from our neighbours, but if it gives them a few more vitamins and good stuff, it will be worth it. Imperfecion, that's really good of you! Thanks very much for the offer, can we take you up on it? If you can make High Harthay on Saturday morning, maybe we can meet up and get abround of clays in at the same time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 Yep,im up for a spot of clay busting saturday! I havent been there for about 6 months so is a great idea. What time we're you thinking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted October 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Early doors. They start shooting at 10 and I try to get up there in time for a cuppa before starting off. I'll give Hairyduck a shout and see if I can tempt him up. I've not seen him out for a while. Look out for the battered silver Frontera. That will be me (assuming that I can get it through its MoT by then) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 I've pm'd you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 if shes been broody and then gone into moult, then this will run em right down - mine a dropping to bits at the moment. - i have conditioned birds for shows and such for years and find that a variety of grits, and garlic oil in the water or seed helps them through this time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saggy61 Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Hi Just to say that my father’s chickens had mites a few months ago and they seemed as if they were always shaking their heads so this maybe worth looking for as we couldn't see any mites in there coop or on the birds which seemed strange... well that was until the good old crearsoat came out of the shed then they were laying in heaps as we treated all the wood in the coop with it and you should have seen all the mites there were millions of the little critters.. Good luck in finding an answer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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