Hi! my name is ERIKA and I am 18 yrs old and just found this place.this is all new to me so please be patient. I raise S.C.C.L. white leghorn bantams and would like to know how to keep their feathers in top condition and also should I feed my cocks a different type of feed than what I feed my hens. My hens are on lay mash. If I am to feed my cocks a different feed, exactly what type

Thanks,
ERIKA

Erika, There is no reason to feed your cocks anything different than you give your hens. For good feathers make sure they have a good diet and are free of pests such as mites and lice so they are not picking at them. I think that one of the main things for good feathers is making sure they get enough protein in their diet. Some people claim that adding garlic power to their food or garlic juice to their water can help keep the pests off them. There are powders that can be used that are very much like flee powders. If you see them eating feathers it means that they need more protein and you can add a little turkey start or game bird start to their feed which has a higher animal protein content. Some folks prefer soy protein rather than animal protein. I personally don't feel that any chicken mash has enough protein in it especially for the fast growing breeds, very heavy breeds, and breeds that lay a lot of eggs. If they free range they will get extra protein from insects. Some folks like to give them some hard boiled eggs but I prefer not to do anything that might lead to egg eating or caniblism. I try to go for a balanced diet so I give mine a little 3 grain scratch but to much corn makes them fat. A little greens are ok but to much gives them the runs. Like most things a little is good to much can cause problems, just because they like it doesn't mean it's good for them. Just like us and sweets. There has been a study that claims oats can help birds and animals cope with heat so I add a little to the scratch. I only use scratch as a treat or snack. Adding vitamins, minerals and electrolites to their water is good for them as well and your hens can use some ground oyster shell to help in making egg shells. Their bones can deteriate if you don't give it to the breeds that lay a lot of eggs. If the birds are in top physical condition the feathers will be as good as they can be based on the birds genetics. The molt will happen, you won't stop it, but a good diet will help the birds to grow in their new feathers and stay healthy. Have fun, Chris

Erika, I checked in a book by Gail Damerow. She says that feathers are 85 percent protein. When birds are about to molt they take on a dull look. She says to toss them a handful of dry cat food every other day until the molt is over. Dog food protein is made from grains, cat food contains animal protein which is rich in amino acids that chickens need during the molt. She recommends 9 percent protein for cock maintenance, 1 part layer ration to 7 parts scatch. For growing birds and layers she recommendes 16-20 percent protein, 11 parts layer ration to 4 parts cat kibbles for 20 percent. She says that when you adjust the protein in your flock's diet by more than a percent or or two, make the change gradually. Too rapid of a change can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. I personally think it would be best to give all the birds 20 percent protein for good feathers. I would have to check but I believe that is what turkey start is. I guess went overboard with your question but I hope this helps you and as I said before, I don't believe any chicken feed contains enough protein by itself, especially for growing birds, layers and molting birds. Chris

CHRIS,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INFO. I NOW KNOW WHAT I WILL FEED MY CHICKENS. THEY ARE STARTING TO MOLT AND KNOW WHAT TO DO FOR THEM. I NEED THE ADVICE AND GUIDENCE OF SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN RAISING OR HAD RAISED CHICKENS, I NO LONGER AM IN 4-H OR FFA AND IT IS HARD TO REACH MY FFA ADVISOR SINCE I GRADUATED. HE WAS THE ONE THAT GOT ME STARTED ON MY PROJECT OF SHOW CHICKENS. SO I HOPE THAT YOU AND OTHERS WILL HELP ME ALONG THE WAY. I REALLY NEED IT. I JUST GOT BACK FROM A LOCAL FAIR AND MY BIRDS DIDN'T DO SO HOT. MY COCKERALS ARE FOR SALE AND I'M GOING TO START FRESH NEXT SPRING. OH AND BY THE WAY CHRIS, YOU DIDN'T GO OVERBOARD ON INFO IT WAS VERY MUCH NEEDED AND APPRECIATED. THANKS FOR CHECKING IN A BOOK FOR ME. PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH AND HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU AND OTHERS. HERE IS MY E-MAIL halfwit@pacbell.net
SINCERELY,
ERIKA

Thanks Erika,

I try to help people with their birds as I hope they will enjoy their chickens as much as I do mine. Most people have no idea what great pets they can be and how tame they can be. I have had more fun with chickens than any cat or dog I've had. I have a rooster that loves to ride on my shoulder. The first time it was oh great here's bird in your face but he has me pritty well trained now. I used to have some Rhode Island Reds that played chicken ball. I would give them a little piece of lettuce and one bird would grab it and start to dodge back and forth in different dirrections then take off running with all the rest them chasing after it squawking their heads off. Then another one would get it and off they would go again. It would just crack me up. I would be laughing so hard I'd have tears running down my cheaks. Who needs a $500. parrot, I've got a chicken. Some breeds are more interresting and active than others which is nice because there is plenty of variety in the different breeds to choose from. Something for everyone. To bad there isn't much info about the personality traits of the different breeds so people would have a easier time choosing the breed that they would really enjoy. There is alot more to selecting chickens than just egg breed or meat breed and isn't that one pritty. Not to meny people want a breed that tends to be real mean or one that just sits around all day doing nothing but it is really hard to get any real info on the breeds before you buy them. That really irritates me to no end. Oh well. Sorry your birds didn't show well but at least you tried. The book I was looking at is by Gail Damerow, (A Guide to Raising Chickens). I learn alot about raising chickens by reading books and like to use them to help other people with their birds. I assume that the people that write the books know more than I do but I don't always go along with everything I read. There is some great info in books that was hard to get before the net became so popular and easy to use. Have fun with your birds Erika. You can e-mail people by clicking on their name if it is blue. Chris

does the garlic have any effect on the eggs taste?

Chris, I was glad to read your note above. I get such a kick out of my girls too. I love to just watch some of the crazy things they do. I have a big dog that everyone is afraid of, but if they saw her with my chicks they'd laugh. My girls will jump on her back and peck her nose and she just takes it. I have three different kinds, two of each. Each breed has a different personality. My barred rock are very friendly and easy to hold. My Americaunas are a little pushy. My other two, I'm not sure what they are. They look kind of like Hamburgs,from the photos. They are shy and seem like live in a world of their own. I also think it would be nice to be able to read about the different personalities. Enjoy the little things in life.

One of my hens, an Araucana, has a bald spot on her
back about 2" in diameter, which she has had for about
3 months now. At first I thought it was from the
rooster, but he's been gone about 2 months now and her
feathers aren't growing in, in fact she seems to be
losing more. I have never seen her or the other hens
pecking at it, but I wonder...My hens free range and I
feed them all-in-one and kitchen greens, fruit, etc.
besides. Could this condition be caused by a parasite
or disease? If anyone has any info to help me I would
appreciate it. Thanks.

A very glossy shine can be added to feathers from flax seed oil. You can buy ground flax seed in most health food stores. Take 1/3 of a cup of dry flax seed and add it to 1/2 quart jar of water. Sit this out in the sun for two days and you'll see the oil that has risien out of the flax seed. Add this to 5 gals of feed. You can feed this all the way through the moult and there feathers will have a real nice shine to them

Chris,
I was glad to read about the cat food thing, we went to a feed seminar(actually for horses) and the rep from Cargill told me about cat food. Thought he was crazy. We have East Indies, Modern Games (just got them, know anything about how to feed them?) and Narragansett turkeys. We had a heinz 57 chicken a couple of years ago, used to sleep on the goat's back and one day it actually played tag with the dog. (hey, I watched them do it!)
Karen

I even called Gail Demerow...
I have a Red Leghorn rooster who has a scruffy looking tail. the flock consists of three leghorns, this one rooster, five anconas, one rooster, two bantam hens, a bantam rooster and a bantam game cock, six guineas and four bantam chicks...
I have never observed any of the others pecking at him. they free range and sleep in the taj mahal of chicken coops at night. i feed them scratch, oystershell, cat food, wild bird seed (on the ground as a treat) and bunny alfalfa pellets as a treat, in other words, i can't figure out for the life of me why his tail looks so raggedy and oily.
thanks
candace in oklahoma

Zelda, While the food you list may include the nutrition that your birds need for nice plumage, the basic diet of treats that your are using may keep them happy like candy and chips to a child, but it is recommended that a flock be fed, free-choice, a STart and Grow ration until laying eggs (both sexes), and Layer ration after they start to lay. These are considered complete feeds, but your birds won't like them as well as what they are getting now. Treats should be very limited. Didn't Gail Damerow tell you this? Some of your other large fowl may show some straggly plumage after a time, bantams, later, as some breeds do well free range for a longer time. But when you think of the huge number of pet birds that live on junk food, it is just: "to each his own". CJR

We have 5 Rhode Island Reds. They are fed laying pellets and left over veggys from the kitchen and garden. They are happy girls and seem to love us as much as we love them. We keep them and the coop clean with hay bedding. The problem is that over the past few months they have developed bare patches in their feathers that look very red and sore even though they don't seem to be hurting and we don't see them pecking at themselves or each other. The spots are getting bigger. Out of the 5, three are worse than two others. Is it mites? We see no mite feces. What should we do?
Please advise, thanks, Stephanie

Hey!!!!is there ANYBODY out there????? I'm about to erase this site from my favorite places.

Our Rhode Island Reds (5) are still looking so bad and we've been waiting to hear from someone since APRIL! It doesn't seem to be mites so HELP PLEASE. See my letter above for more detail same user name.

Our girls are depending on you
Stephanie

Stephanie, Don't give up--BUT, if no one answers your question the first time they see it, it doesn't come up again! I don't know the answer, I can only answer problems I have experienced. But if it isn't moulting (and it doesn't sound like it), mites, lice or feather lice could be the cause. A spray like ADAMS Flea & Tick spray is very effective for those parasites that love our chickens. Even if you don't see them, a spritz of it might surprise you with results. Dry shavings for bedding, deep enough for them to scratch, even "dust" in might make them comfortable. But honestly without seeing them and their housing anything is just a guess! Sorry you didn't get a proper answer--keep trying--someone may know! CJR

Everyone please note: If you attach a message to an old thread, as Stephanie did above, only the people who use the "new" messages search will see it, and they will only see it if the new message search function is working. It frequently does not work for me. Please understand that the only people who can answer a message are those who see it.

Dr. Bruce,
Your info about"an old thread" is over my head as I am not a real pro here at the computer but I REALLY wish you would have spoken to my girls!!! Rhode Island Reds that don't act sick or disturbed in any way but they Look awfull! Especially around the belly and legs. Lots of feathers missing and red skin. We tried using seven and cleaned the coop really well 3 times to no avail! I hope some one who can help will send info. ASAP
Stephanie