The Poultry Keeper

merlin · Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Posts: 114 Location: Hertfordshire

Hope someone can suggest something, I have several Cochin hens and two of them are bald as if they have been wearing a saddle! it's not moulting, and I haven't seen them pecking or being pecked, how can i get them to feather up? They look so sad half oven ready.

Knobby · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 8:36 am Post subject:

You can get some nice "saddles" for your hens....they come in nice variety of colours and sizes.

This is not a joke !!!

Heather · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 8:38 am Post subject:

Do you have a cockerel in with them - otherwise the saddle won't help ?

Knobby · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 8:39 am Post subject:

Oh...sorry, i just assumed there was !!! Embarassed

Heather · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 8:41 am Post subject:

Why be sorry - I'm sure there is no need - you are far more experienced in these things than me

Wink

Knobby · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 8:43 am Post subject:

Ha...who said !! You should see the state of one of my Buffys........shes a right mess.....I think shes been going through the moult for 6 months now !! Poor thing.....she look happy enough tho' !! Her Sister hasnt moulted at all tho' ??? Confused

Heather · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 8:49 am Post subject:

Weird!, I'm sure she's fine if she's happy though , but you do have more experience - you = 5 yrs
me = 1 month !

NannyP · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:11 am Post subject:

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

If there is no cockerel running with them then it could be a mite attack. I read about this happening somewhere else ~ a depluming mite ~ can you examine them and see if you can see any little unwelcome visitors on them?
Hope it is that you have a cockerel, then as Knobby says you can buy saddles for them to protect their feathers

Lisa · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 10:18 am Post subject:

I too thought that the saddle pattern of baldness was usually due to a cockeral "treading" his hens too... um... enthusiatically! But I don't have a cockeral so don't have any actual experience of this. If you do have a cockeral, then I would guess that these two lovely ladies are simply his particular favourites! As Knobby said, you can get saddles made to fit them to protect their backs from the cockerels claws Razz

One of my new hybrids was particularly picked on by the older girls when she arrived, and the feather damage is in this case mostly on her back. If I look closely I can see that the feathers have been broken off, whereas feathers from moulting come out whole and are usually found on the ground somewhere...

I've read about a "depluming mite" too, but I thought for some reason (please someone correct me if I'm mistaken) that this would cause typical feather loss around the bottom? I think you see them as clusters of white dots at the bottom of the feather shaft?

Some feathers do grow back as they are lost, but it they are repeatedly damaged then, in my experience, they tend to stop growing back until the bird next goes through a moult when they will be replaced.

If there is a lot of feather loss and bare skin showing do make sure they have lots of shade (and use it) so they don't get sunburnt!

HTH Smile

Knobby · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 10:21 am Post subject:

Could......in theory depluming mite, affect only 1 chicken in a group ? Or would it spread ?

NannyP · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 10:21 am Post subject:

That sounds more like it Summayah, well done.

http://www.organic-vet.reading.ac.uk/Poultryweb/disease/mites/mites.htm

merlin · Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Posts: 114 Location: Hertfordshire

Thanks for all the help, I do have several cockerels in with the group as it is mixed, and their mate Samson is a big lad. I will try to get a picture of them.

George · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 5661 Location: London

There is this one on ebay
http://tinyurl.com/d4vvn

Wink

Knobby · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 11:48 am Post subject:

And here

http://www.debenvalleypoultry.com/saddles.htm

George....what is the "tinyurl" thingy ????