PrettyCoolChicks
Songster
Hi folks,
Couple days ago, I noticed a bird with an injured pin feather (It looked like it had bled quite a bit, but I couldn't find a wound other than the tip of one pin feather being red). The next day, I was shocked to see two hens with bare backs! One was expected because of molting/regrowing feathers from overmating, but all the other hens had just regrown brand new feathers and one was now bare backed again - all the new feathers were cleanly gone, and only the new feathers too. Took me less than 24h to identify the bully and he's now in my fridge to be eaten.
But... that leaves me with a hen with a bare back who had just finished her molt. Any chance that they can regrow a second time immediately, or is she going to have to tough it out through the winter like this? It can get down to -10/-20C; that's 14/-4F
Would giving her game bird feed for a month help? (saw that in another thread, but unsure if it would apply here...)
Would a chicken saddle keep her warm enough? Do I knit her a wool saddle lining? Or modify one to give it a down filling for warmth?
Any advice appreciated
Couple days ago, I noticed a bird with an injured pin feather (It looked like it had bled quite a bit, but I couldn't find a wound other than the tip of one pin feather being red). The next day, I was shocked to see two hens with bare backs! One was expected because of molting/regrowing feathers from overmating, but all the other hens had just regrown brand new feathers and one was now bare backed again - all the new feathers were cleanly gone, and only the new feathers too. Took me less than 24h to identify the bully and he's now in my fridge to be eaten.
But... that leaves me with a hen with a bare back who had just finished her molt. Any chance that they can regrow a second time immediately, or is she going to have to tough it out through the winter like this? It can get down to -10/-20C; that's 14/-4F
Would giving her game bird feed for a month help? (saw that in another thread, but unsure if it would apply here...)
Would a chicken saddle keep her warm enough? Do I knit her a wool saddle lining? Or modify one to give it a down filling for warmth?
Any advice appreciated
