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| I have an African Grey hen that has a plucking problem. I have a camera in the nest box which can get be a little disturbing at times because when I want to check the eggs, she is usually pulling feathers while sitting on them. She has been sitting on 3 clutches of infertile eggs since I got the pair, but I was told she stops plucking after breeding season. Should she be bred? Does this behavior get passed on, and if so, is it genetically inherited or an acqiured behavior?
Greg
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| Greg, Explain "plucked" to me. Reason being, and this is an experience that I have had, I bought a pair, breeder said "little plucked", when I saw her, her whole front looked like a Thanksgiving turkey. My eyes fell out of my head. But that was the only place she plucks, every where else on her body is perfect. I'm not the "sharpest tool in the shed", but I do wonder sometimes if its because the nestbox is always up, the lighting is always set on "breeding mode" even though they arent laying at that particular time the whole setting around them screams "breed". This is totally a guess, I have no degrees in anything, I'm not what one would call a "brilliant" person, although its fun to try to be. Stacy
Stacy Shue
Blake Aviary
www.blakeaviary.com
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| That's a good point. I don't know how often that last breeder kept everything in breed mode, but I am going to remove them and put them in a larger flight with two other pairs for the winter and I will report if that helped. Oh, she is pretty much plucked everywhere except the wings. Her chest is bare and the rest looks chewed on. She has even started plucking the males neck feathers. When I watch them in the nest box camera, he is either plucking her head feathers(she is bald) or she is plucking his neck. If she is alone, she is working on herself or sleeping on the eggs. I think, for him anyway, it is mostly hormonal because he will pluck her head bald when nesting begins until she has been sitting on the last egg for a week. For all I know, this pair could have been breeding nonstop for years with infertile eggs and they are simply frustrated! I would be, but I could be wrong.
Greg
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| Well, since my last post here, I covered her nest box hole with a piece of wood with a 1" hole in it. She has most of her feathers back and this is the first time I saw her with feathers on her head. Her belly went from completely bald to covered with down and some pin feathers that I think she is still picking a little. What a change though! It turns out, she is a red head. I had no idea she had red feathers on her body. Could that have anything to do with plucking in the past?
Greg
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| I am so glad to hear that! Its amazing how something so simple can make or break these guys. Personally, and keeping in mind this is only an opinion, I think its good to get them out of "breeding mode" occasionally. Its so easy to "just leave the box up" that I think its like that all to often with all different types of birds. I know I wouldnt want to live like that. Stacy
Stacy Shue
Blake Aviary
www.blakeaviary.com
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I have a Quaker and a Java Finch Hen that pluck while sitting on eggs. I think they do it so there chest comes in direct contact with the eggs and keeps them warmer or maybe the Quaker does it because she gets hot in the nest box as the Quaker hen normaly breeds in late spring or summer. The Java Hen just plucks chest feather but the Quaker plucks chest and back feathers. After breeding all feather grow back and no more plucking until the next brood.
Regards,
Mandy Tucker
www.singing-wings-aviary.com
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