[langdon]

hi all smallholders!!!!!

Langdon here, just  new to website and new to smallholding!!  we got our own veg garden plus a small bit of land in which we are developing to keep livestock (really exciting)  at mo we got lowman brown hens 8 and our wellsummer cockerel called eddie!!!! he is great!! we are also getting saddleback pigs , goats , ducks and more hens.
We would love dog but are looking for a breed that doesnt lose fur as my wife is allergic.
Any advice on why my cockerel is losing his tail feathers?
Thanks
Langdon

[Dan]

Hello Langdon and welcome aboard! 

Sounds like you've got great plans and lots of work ahead - how much land have you got? (I warn you in advance that we've got land envy!)

Our cockerel Hector is also losing his tail feathers - it's most likely just the moult at this time of year. It's all about resting the reproductive system and restoring healthy levels of nutrients and recovering zing (a technical term). You'll also notice he loses interest in his hens - he'll be infertile during the moult so doesn't bother them. 

In a couple of months he'll be back to his best. Rosemary gives our chooks extra sardines during the moult on the basis that the oil will help with the new feather growth.

Hope this helps,

Dan

[Troubled Waters]

Helloo and welcome.
Enjoy getting your 

[Rosemary]

Hi and welcome

[langdon]

Thanks for the welcome and the advice. Be in touch soon 

[MiriMaran]

Gordon lost his tail feathers a few weeks ago and there are feathers scattered all over the field from our hens.  One of our white leghorns has one tail feather left that is sticking straight up in the air like a native American squaw!  All our hens are looking a bit moth eaten, but all the feathers will grow back and they'll be all snug and ready for the winter.

Welcome to the forum by the way!

[Hilarysmum]

Roger is losing his tail feathers, but Wally who has up till now never had a tail, is finally developing a couple.  Welcome to the forum, looking forward to hearing about your pigs when they arrive 

[carole]

Hi and welcome from me too

Carole

[doganjo]

Jamie lost some of his a good few weeks ago when my three Brittanys all wanted to retrieve him at once.  However, he still has quite a few but lost some in the moult last week.  The ex batt girls are more like ex batts then when I got them!

[sandy]

  WOuld love a Cockeril but my neighbours would go mad!!!!!! Welcome from me and me rowing flock 1516 hens,2Ducks, 2 Dogs!!

[MiriMaran]

looks to me like you've accepted your new hen as a member of the family!

[sandy]

Yup!!

[Padge]

Helloooooo and welcome from another newcomer

Everyone has such maaaanly   names for their cockerels lol.....ours is Andrew!!

[doganjo]

Andrew is a good strong MANLY Scottish name - does this sound appropriate for him?

Andrew:
Very much the individual you have enormous energy and vision and must find a suitable use for your talents. You have great potential for success in business if you can guard against indecision and worry. Your generous nature means that you are never short of friends and with cooperation your relationships can be very rewarding. Perseverance and firm decision making will ensure you achieve your objectives.

[little blue]

Our is Lenin, like the bolshevic cockerel in "the good life" who got on a bus! He escaped from a cage destined for market and chatted up our girls for two days and nights before we caught him.
To follow the theme, the 2 we sent to new homes were "Che" and "Franco"  the hen from that hatching is "Eva" (Peron)