The Poultry Keeper

Hazel · Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 5

Hi
My kids have been keeping 3 chickens since the spring. Doris, Henrietta and Suzie-Bo. We havent been through a molt before so I dont know if this is normal or not. One of our chickens looks very rough around the heck and head and all around where the feather should be there are like grey coloured tubes. Is this where new feathers are growing or is it something else? The look like straws with little feather poking out - but the chicken looks a mess, although she is pretty perky as usual.
Thanks for you help
Hazel

nigel · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 1:17 pm Post subject:

The grey tubes are the new feathers growing, they are nothing to worry about. They first emerge in a grey-ish sheath.

The only effect it has it to stop them laying as they need all the protein and calcium for feather rather than egg production.

CP · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 1:18 pm Post subject:

From what you describe, sounds normal to me, Hazel.

The little tubes are the feather sheaths where they are growing through.

Welcome to the forum, by the way! Smile

Hazel · Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 5

Thanks so much for your help.
its great to put my mind at rest and tell the kids.
Thanks for the welcome too Smile

Hazel

nigel · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 2:27 pm Post subject:

Ben our gold laced wyandotte looked awful this year

Pete&Jackie · Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Posts: 209 Location: Hertfordshire

2 of our Wyandottes got a severe case of oven ready moulting!! They were a sight for sore eyes, it really hit them hard to begin with, went off their food for a couple of days and were really fed up, not to mention featherless! They are now nearly back to full regalia and looking pretty dinkum, if I say so myself!! Wink

jaydee67 · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:27 am Post subject:

All of ours, except this year's hatch, decided to moult together this year - must be the wet summer of something! Anyway we had a flock of hedgehogs for a while, all looking good now and back to laying eggs - at last!

1 Chicken Smuggler · Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Posts: 178

It is cold as charity here--in the lower teens(F),mine are moulting and haven`t laid an egg in months.I have friends that have naked chickens that have the feather shafts from new feathers coming in and their birds look more like pin cushions than chickens.Just up their protein and they will be fine.

Hazel · Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 5

lol
Thanks everyone. Im so glad to hear that its normal. They look such a state. But they are still laying eggs. We have been getting 4 eggs a day from only 3 chickens for the last 6 months. They must be happy hens!

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

my wheaten maran was like that ~ she had the worst moult of any of the girls ~ new pillows could be filled every morning, but she still went on laying the most beautiful mahogony coloured eggs, bless her.