Raising chickens in warm humid environments can be challenging. Especially if the hens are egg layers. The longer they sit in the nesting boxes, the hotter they become. To ward off heat, hens will pluck off chest feathers. With extreme heat, hens pluck off feathers under wings and from around backside. Add an additional hen inside the nesting box with the high heat and anger issues arise. With anger comes hens plucking feathers off each other. As a result of all this plucking, naked hens.
Plucking feathers is common with nesting hens. Plan473 hens are not nesting, they are just taking to damn long in this oppressive heat to lay an egg. This picture is from way back in April 2018 before the hens got really bad. By mid-summer, some of the hens only had feathers on their top half. Trying to rationalize with a hen that she needs to get in an out of the nesting box quickly is wasted breath. They only bok bok at you. Does bok bok mean ok or does bok bok mean ok no?
Did you know that hens do not molt their first winter? Chickens molt several times when growing from little peppers to adults but once that passes in the first few months, they will not molt again until they are 15-18 months old. This means most chickens do not molt their first winter as they are not old enough. Molting is important for the health of a chicken both inside and out. Outside they look fluffy and shiny again. Inside they are preparing for egg production again. Egg production is halted because a hen cannot produce enough protein for both eggs and feathers. Once the molted is completed over a two-three month period, the hens will return to egg production.
After cooler temperatures and months of molting the hens are finally looking like an egg-celent flock again. Not having to set inside warm nesting boxes for hours on end really does wonders to the general well being of a chicken. With decreased agitation, they squawk less, pluck less, and fight less. Old feathers (what's left) have fallen out and new fluffy feathers have grown and the hens are starting to return the business of egg production. This is egg-celent as having to eat store bought eggs is just not the same. It has only an egg here and there and with inconsistent sizing. The two blue eggs are Americana eggs. They both should be the size of the middle blue egg. Don't know why the top egg is extra large as the birds are extra small. The bottom speckled egg and the singular egg were from B.U. the newest hen. Guess she is old enough to lay eggs too. Or maybe she was just going through a heavy molt when we obtained her. Will have to wait until this coming winter to see if she molts or not to help determine her age. Needless to say, her eggs are egg-celent in structure, shape, and form. Nice job B.U.
The egg-laying flock and original rooster are looking fine in form. Yes, the rooster molted too as he lost all his sickle feathers and the hens were constantly pecking his loose feather off him. What is not fine is the outcasted rooster. It has been months since his arrival and his still on the outs with the flock. He is not allowed to roost with the flock and is forced to sleep in the trees to avoid being attacked by the neighborhood cat. Sleeping in a tree is becoming a problem as his mess is mounding up and spilling over. If it was any other location no one would complain. However, this is the clothesline tree and he is just one branch over from the line. The day might come when the rooster gets to boot from his perch. Once again, outcasted.
When the flock is let out of the coop/run he follows behind them. Not with them. Not sure of the safe distance, but too close results in still being chased by the original rooster or one of the hens. Outcasted is not fun even you are a chicken. Nature tells him he should procreate. Attempts are thwarted by agitated hens who won't hold still causing a ruckus resulting in an attacking rooster three times his size.
Outcasted. Lonely wanderings as the flock is not let out until the evenings. Outcasted and following the dog-o around for companionship. It is a sad sight to see a chicken following a dog around like a puppy on a leash. Or maybe, just maybe, he likes being an outcast. Living a lonely life having no responsibilities or cares. Eating when you can eat. Seeping when you can sleep. Hmm, thoughts to ponder... Either way, all chickens are healthy and ready for the summer. Now, Plan473 can prepare for new little peppers as Valentine's day is coming quickly. Egg-celent new little peppers. I CAN'T WAIT!