jeo2314
8 posts
Mar 06, 2005
7:49 PM
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Hi guys, I have a latebred hen from 2004 that dropped 1 flight last year. I mixed up a tonic I found on the net called Dave Allen tonic. I gave it to them as per directions. This young hen is now growing in her 5th flight and has regrown the top 4 tail feathers but they are only very slowly opening up. There are a few other birds that have started to drop flights.
This tonic contains iodine and I am wondering if this has something to do with it? I was feeding them 17% layers pellets. I found some good wheat and peas and so it has been approx. equal parts of each and brewers yeast a couple times a week. So they are getting high protien. It is lit up at night in there due to water heating system but not a great deal. I have read a little about blood quills only with flight feathers though. Does anyone know what really causes them? Thanks Jeff
Last Edited by jeo2314 on Mar 06, 2005 7:50 PM
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rollerpigeon
Site Moderator
230 posts
Mar 06, 2005
10:19 PM
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Hey Jeff, I did some research regarding the blood quills, I am coming up with something called "french molt". It may be brought on by 3 factors: nutrition, heredity and environmental.
Other causes I found were out of season breeding, stress and the use of artificial lights.
I am understanding that there is no known scientific cause for it. Just speculation as to what factors may be involved. Is it happening to several birds or just the one?
Apparently these blood quills can be removed after about 8 weeks in an attempt see the new ones grow in properly. Hope everything works out. FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
Last Edited by rollerpigeon on Mar 06, 2005 10:19 PM
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jeo2314
9 posts
Mar 07, 2005
3:49 PM
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Thanks for looking that up for me Tony. It's only the one hen with the blood quills. It had to have been around the end of Jan. I started to give them the tonic for a week and no harm seemed to be done. I continued on with it a couple times a week. I can not say when exactly she started to moult. I know it takes time to grow in 3 flights and 6 tail feathers. She also dropped the 2 outside tail feathers and is growing her 5th flight now having moulted the 1st one last fall.
More cock birds seem to be moulting more than hens. Some have just started and some other latebreds have started to double moult. I think it is probably due to the feed and being lit up in there. Needless to say though they won't be getting any more of that tonic for a while, it's still winter time here. I hope to pair them up in a couple weeks. That is about when most people pair up around here. I have been busy building and I am not sure how tight these young rollers will sit and I am a little concerned about the first egg and I would just as soon leave them in the nest. So I'll hopefully be ready to spend a week in the loft with them in a couple weeks.
Thanks Tony
Jeff
Last Edited by jeo2314 on Mar 07, 2005 3:51 PM
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