How do I worm our chickens? and a few other questions...

[ladytophamhatt]

A few week ago I noticed one had a bald bum, then she had a broody spell so I thoight it was her plucking feathers or something.

Since being home from hols about 5 have bald bums so it can't be that.

I assume they need worming again but would that cause bald bums?

Weirdly its only the dark colours hens who are bald, and its all underneath so I doubt its other hens pulling the feather because it'd be difficult to reach the area.

Is there anything else it could be?

I have looked through the feathers of a few and can't see and mites or anything.....

Any ideas?

If it is worms how on earth do I make sure they all get enough medicine because AFAIK it goes in the drinking water.

I want fluffy hens again noit tatty threadbare ones.

[tortoiseSHELL]

It could be other hens feather pulling. If you want to worm them there are 2 methods - either put flubenvet in with their feed, or you could use the grape method - cut grapes in half, dip each one in a tiny amount of flubenvet, then hand feed to each hen. Repeat for 5 days.

[ladytophamhatt]

Hmmmm,the grape method could be tricky as some are very tame and follow me around teh garden while others run a mile before you get anywhere near them.

the baldness is all underneath, all teh fluffy feathers and a few have it going up onto their chest abit too.

[TheDuchessOfNorksBride]

I'm sure you have already, but if not, I'd do a clean sweep. Give them new bedding, dose the henhouse and their bath areas with mite powder and give them flubenvet. I usually measure out a weeks food into a separate container, add the flubenvet, and then make sure it's the only food they get. Unless they starve themselves, you can be fairly sure that they've all been dosed. You can also add apple cider vinegar to their drinking water as that deters parasites from their digestive system.

What's in the run? What are they eating? What is their poo like?

Half of my layers are all beginning to moult (though not round their bottoms!), combine that with the cocks' favourite hens, who are bald on their backs, and it is not a scene of rural beauty. Pity, as I have nice hens for sale and the punters might see my stricken-looking breeding flock!!!

[ladytophamhatt]

We dismantled teh whole house and scrubbed it down teh other day actually. Bedding, nesting box etc gets changed every 3-4 days.
Run has wood chipping down.

Poos are sometimes runny but mostly normal chicken poo.

The feathers have gone abit funny where the tail starts (new technical term there). I wonder if it is just moulting but in an odd pattern....

[ladytophamhatt]

We dismantled teh whole house and scrubbed it down teh other day actually. Bedding, nesting box etc gets changed every 3-4 days.
Run has wood chipping down.

Poos are sometimes runny but mostly normal chicken poo.

The feathers have gone abit funny where the tail starts (new technical term there). I wonder if it is just moulting but in an odd pattern....

[tortoiseSHELL]

I wondered about moulting, but as they are young hens thye would be unlikely to moult now - they normally would go through to next year I think. But they may be older than I'm remembering.

[TheDuchessOfNorksBride]

My 14 week old hens/cockerels are shedding a lot of feathers so I guess the age rule doesn't always apply. They're not being pecked out either, you can see the feathers falling out whilst they're happily pecking about.

[ladytophamhatt]

They were all at 18/19 weeks atthe end of may....would that make them old enough?

Also I wondered if it was moulting because as its only the dark coloured hens that are bald, the 2 brown ones are but to a lesser extent. Would they(the dark hens) may get warmer easier in teh sun and moult easier then white ones?....
Maybe thats my total lack of chicken knowledge showing though.

[tortoiseSHELL]

Could be moulting. I did read a calculation about when they moult, but chickens don't always behave the rule book!

[thesockmonsterofdoom]

haven't you wormed them once already, i wouldn't have thought they could have worms again already. they shouldn't have mites. are they rubbing themselves on somethinbg from beinf too hot? Is it hot where you are it isn't here.
Sorry i really know nothing just trying to be helpful.

[ladytophamhatt]

I called the farm where we got them and they said to worm them.

I assume they were done before being sold so would they need doing again now...??