Butterscotch has been broody for a week now. I get her out of the nest box three or four times a day for a break. She is a docile and easy to handle broody girl. She accepts me taking her out with good grace and not a murmur.
She sits until I move her on then runs off and frantically scratches, takes a quick dust bath, poops and has some food and water, then returns back to the nest box.
While she has a dust bath Barley always helps her. She seems fascinated by Butterscotch and is always by her side while she has a dust bath. Barley scratches and pecks the dirt around Butterscotch and pecks specks of dirt from her feathers.
Butterscotch takes a dust bath
Barley is always on hand to help
Barley with Butterscotch
I then noticed that Barley would peck at the pins on Butterscotch’s head and I would chase her off. Yesterday I noticed that Butterscotch now has a bare patch on her neck.
I worried that Barley may have pulled feathers from her. I dreaded the thought of this happening again.
Butterscotch has a bare patch
Butterscotch is missing feathers
I then realised that Butterscotch has pins on the bare patch. You can just see them on the photo above and below.
Butterscotch has pins
I think what is happening is that Barley is trying to pull these pins. The white pins on black skin really show up and Barley probably thinks she is being helpful trying to remove these specks.
It’s good news that she isn’t pulling feathers but bad news if she pulls out the pins as this would leave Butterscotch with a bare patch.
I really wish her pin feathers would hurry up and open. Luckily she is in the nest box most of the time and I am watching over her when she comes out. The problem is that while she is constantly either laying eggs or broody her feathers are opening at a painfully slow pace. This leave the pins vulnerable to being pulled.
There is nothing more I can do though so I just have to hope enough feathers open to give her some covering. Butterscotch has had the longest and slowest moult of any chicken I have ever come across. I hope she has new feathers soon.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Yyou can only do your best for them all, there is always going to be some problem
going on, Hope all her feathers grow in soon.
It is frustrating but you are right, there is nothing more I can do. I wish I could make her feathers grow in more quickly but I can’t work miracles.
Hello Marion,
welcome to the wonderful world of technology!
May you have many happy hours reading the ups and downs of Carols girls .
I am so proud of my mum, mastering this technology. She is one of us now, linked to the wonderful world of chickens.
Hi Jackie
I feel I know you as i have heard so much about you.
Yes this is really nice being able to read the blog as it comes in.
Oh my, I love this, I have connected the two people I talk to the most. I am loving this.
You areright that, as long as she is broody, she is largely protected. Maybe a bit of protein just for her might help with feather regeneration?
I already give them protein. They have sunflower hearts each morning and fish once a week plus worms I dig up for them and occasionally some scrambled egg (in a little olive oil and water). I just have to hope the feathers come through before she stops being broody.
My girls are very curious when it comes to pin feathers and have pulled them on my Jersey Giant. Who is my alpha hen and no one messes w/ her. They quickly came in and all was fine. But I totally get how upsetting it is to watch.
I think the pins when on show are irresistible and she is top girl but her pins are opening so very slowly due to her constantly switching between laying and being broody. I just hope enough open to stop bare patches. It is upsetting to see but I hope that all will be fine in the end. There always seems to be something to worry about.