Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,751
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Jun 8, 2021 13:59:51 GMT
When Penny came to us, she had no tail feather and also some of her tail coverts were missing. Now I think she has about one tail covert left. Do you think she has French Moult? I can't see any issues with her wing feathers, other than her posture. But she cannot fly. What do people think? A tail covert came out earlier, it looks like it's snapped, rather than fallen out whole, I think this is how they all came out. Photos are from today.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Jun 8, 2021 14:40:51 GMT
Interesting. Is that feather in the last picture curved rather than being straight? I have no real knowledge about FM. I have noticed that in Penny's pictures, she carries her left wing higher than her right. It was most noticeable to me in the video shots taken from behind her. If she does have FM, wouldn't she have passed it on to her babies - poor little ones.
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Post by ariella on Jun 8, 2021 20:30:32 GMT
Considering she was overbred, I think it’s a possibility. What a shame as she’s probably the least stressed she’s ever been and being fed more nutritious food.
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Post by criswell on Jun 8, 2021 21:32:03 GMT
Could be. Dean Stockwell's feathers are very brittle and break easily and they don't look like normal feathers. He doesn't have any tail feathers these days. Randolph Carter's tail feathers look normal but they are brittle too and often break off half way along. It only seems to affect his tail but Dean Stockwell has lost feathers every where.
I noticed the Penny carries her wings at different heights too. I wonder if she's had an injury at some point or if it's just from years of sitting in her nest box. I feel so sad when I think about the life she had. Maybe you'll see some improved feather growth now she has a better diet.
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Post by Hezz on Jun 9, 2021 1:10:41 GMT
I don’t think Penny has FM. The rest of her plumage is too neat, in my view, and I really hope I am right, for her sake, not mine. I think her body is over-used and therefore under stress until she is able to replace all the missing nutrients in her body. That’s not to say that she will grow the tail feathers back in in the future, but I do think it is a real possibility. Her posture may or may not improve, somehow I doubt it, if it is due to lack of calcium while over-breeding. I think her posture is due to two factors: the overbreeding and leeching her body of calcium, and the cramped position of basically living in a nest box.
(Mango also has a curved spine from her chronic egg-laying days, and she didn’t moult for a very long time once we got that under control. It was a happy day to see some yellow feathers in her cage eventually.)
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Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,751
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Jun 9, 2021 14:33:40 GMT
Thanks all. The tail covert feather (both pics are the same feather) is broken, hence looking bent. Hezz does Mango have a similar posture to Penny? How is Mango doing these days? You could be right about the posture in part being due to spending most of her time in a nest box. Poor Penny Any idea for vitamins to put in Penny's water? She gets Calcivet twice a week, also Iodine twice a week but I was wondering if she would benefit from a multivit or something else?
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Jun 9, 2021 15:48:32 GMT
I'm wondering if having a cuttlebone or something similar available to her at all times would be beneficial? Being a hen, she may just shred it in no time but ingesting some might be good. I don't think I've read a thread here on people's opinions on cuttlebones. Other places I've read that people think they are a waste of money.
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Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,751
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Jun 9, 2021 15:51:56 GMT
She has a cuttlebone, but she doesn't pay it much attention, perhaps I'll move it somewhere more prominent. My opinion on cuttlebones is that they are worth having, even if just to give the hens something to do
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Post by ffiscool on Jun 9, 2021 16:25:50 GMT
When Bailey had issues with feathers and he used to look like he was going to fall off a perch, I started adding abidec vitamins. It did help. I know now the falling bit was partly because he wasn’t getting enough sleep. As he was with me in the lounge, he had the same hours up, as me.
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Post by mona on Jun 9, 2021 16:30:40 GMT
Even if they treat Cuttlefish bone as a shredding toy, it seems worthwhile to me. Though Cookie attacks cuttlefish bone once in a while and goes at it for whole day.. they have a mineral block too along with Cuttlefish bone.. Maybe multivitamin won't hurt Marianne Marlow ?
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Post by skysmum on Jun 9, 2021 22:20:33 GMT
I don't think Penny has FM either Marianne, her plumage is far too pristine, she such a beautiful girl its a real shame she has been treated as a breeding machine . I think, as others, that her problems are related to over breeding and being held hostage in a nest box most of her life. I use Daily Essential vitamins from the Bird Care Company. If you message them with Penny's condition they will advise if they have anything different that will help her.
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Post by Hezz on Jun 10, 2021 1:02:43 GMT
Thanks all. The tail covert feather (both pics are the same feather) is broken, hence looking bent. Hezz does Mango have a similar posture to Penny? How is Mango doing these days?You could be right about the posture in part being due to spending most of her time in a nest box. Poor Penny Any idea for vitamins to put in Penny's water? She gets Calcivet twice a week, also Iodine twice a week but I was wondering if she would benefit from a multivit or something else? Yes, she does, and remember that her hips have splayed as well. Besides having trouble with the worst leg and the fact that that foot has two toes that don’t perform as they should (nothing to do with her egg-laying), she gets around okay using her beak, and spends a lot of time hanging from the roof of her cage. She doesn’t want to come out to fly any more but will do a great impersonation of a hummingbird. She can definitely still fly, very well, but my thoughts are that the landings either hurt her or leave her feeling vulnerable - she does a beak-plant when landing at any great speed.
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Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,751
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Jun 10, 2021 13:59:27 GMT
Thank you everyone. I have emailed the Birdcare Company to see if they can recommend a supplement.
I really hope that Penny can fly again, but I don't hold out much hope.
She is enjoying life and that is what matters. She demands her daily time out of the cage, she knows that when I sit down to lunch that it's time for her to come out!
If I didn't have a toddler, I'd have Penny out more often.
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Post by ffiscool on Jun 10, 2021 14:14:58 GMT
Perhaps she will be able to fly, even with her legs seemingly shorter.. but she may be hesitant re landing. as you say the main thing is she is having fun and happy. Plus her new bestie...
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Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,751
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Jun 10, 2021 14:38:58 GMT
It's just so frustrating for her that she cannot come out and fly around with the others, I really feel for her.
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