Q: question about my older hen

Answered by suetrys on 8/16/03, 7:10 am

A: question about my older hen

> I inherited 4 RI Reds when I bought my farm last Oct. They
> are all healthy, good layers, eaters etc. I suspect these
> hens are around 6 or 7 years old. One of them has some
> symptoms that I'm concerned about: her legs have become
> large and scaly, her nails are growing very long and the
> patches of hair around her ears is growing. Now the feathers
> behind her comb are missing or have been plucked out by a
> new rooster..not sure which. Overall, she seems happy, has a
> good appetite and is still laying. but, she looks a bit
> rough...not sure if its age or she is sick. She has always
> been the least attractive out of the group, looking a big
> ragged - this may just be her. She gets along well with the
> rest of the flock so I don't think she is suddenly getting
> beat up. Any advice is appreciated.
>
You're really lucky to still be getting eggs from your chickens at 6 or 7 yrs. old. Mine stopped laying at 4 yrs. old. Just an occasional egg here and there.
You are probably seeing signs of aging with the one hen. As far as her long nails, you can clip them with dog nail clippers. Just nip a very small peice at a time and stay away from the vein that runs through the nail.
The feathers missing behind her comb can very well be caused by the rooster mating. Roosters seem to sometimes pick a certain hen to mate more then any other. A young rooster can be pretty aggressive when mating.
Just keep an eye on her. If she gets really bad, you may have to separate her from the rest till she can get back in shape. Good luck..............