Moulting is now in full swing in the chicken run with Flame dropping the most feathers. As always she has suddenly lost most of her tail feathers.
It has now been three days since the flock stopped having tylan in their water and Flame is looking good in herself. Her eye has remained open and clear and she looks more alert. She is standing up a lot more rather than sitting in the run.
I don’t want to jinx it but I think we have come through the crisis.
Gold has come out of her broody spell after only a week but Sugar is still going strong. I am going to put her in the broody crate tonight and try to break her out of it.
I don’t want Sugar sat in a nest box all day during our current hot weather. There is no point in letting her do this any longer and the sooner she is back to normal the better.
At the moment the two laying girls have laid so I have closed the nest boxes and blocked the pop hole. At the end of the day I will put her in the broody crate in the shed with mash, water and a perch as usual. I know she will then perch overnight and two or three nights is enough to break her out of it.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Perhaps it was the moult that made her susceptible – its supposed to take a lot out of them. So glad she’s better!
You’ll be very surprised – I’ve finally succumbed and I’m going to pick up another serama tomorrow and a Barbu de Grubbe – hope I don’t regret it! I’ll send you some pics via email tomorrow night xx
I don’t think it was the moult because she always moults likes this after a few broody spells and it was before the moult. I think it was the worms. When she was sitting and dozing a lot I thought she was feeling her age. When I found worms in her poop I realised she must have been over loaded with them, probably bought in by Dot in May after I had wormed in March. After first worming and then treating with tylan she is so much better even while moulting.
That’s very exciting news. I can’t wait for photos. Keep me posted xx
Good to hear. You’re right about broodiness in the heat, too – it can exacerbate a potential red mite problem, as I know to my horror! I’m moving mine after the first day atm – Blackie and Sally on their third day. I let them both out yesterday morning and they went straight back onto the nests they had left! Will try and release again tomorrow.
They can be so determined. Sugar is having her first night in the broody crate tonight. She is sitting on the perch which I think helps as she won’t perch in the chicken shed. It will be easy to keep the nest boxes closed for part of each day as we only have two girls laying. I don’t think I have ever had so few laying at this time of year. Hope we can both break our broodies soon.
So pleased Flame is back to her old self, looking good even with no tail.
Despite moulting Flame is a different bird. She actually runs to the treats which she hasn’t done for ages.