I’ve been putting off a full chicken check for awhile. I’ve been spot checking under wings for mites, spot checking feet, and monitoring fluffy bums, but I heard that it hurts when they go through a molt, so didn’t want to pick them up and handle them much. Turns out I haven’t done weights since we lost Navi, Pooh, and Sunrise. Molting is lasting forever.

Well, the weather has been spectacular, with highs in the 80s and we had a morning of 70s when my eldest volunteered to help with chicken checks. We weighed all nine, checked under the wings for mites, checked vent condition, and checked their feet. Most of them needed a nail clip, some had bumbles, but only a few needed to be wrapped. I’ve suspected that they may have scaly leg mites, so put some natural healing ointment with tea tree and other essential oils in their legs. Taco was the only one where I was sure she has leg mites, as the scales on her legs were visibly lifted. We’ll treat her again with the ointment tomorrow. All of the chickens have lost weight. I hope it is just the molting and they will start packing on the ounces when they fully feather.

Jade has the flock beauty award in the bag. Her beard is glorious and her new feathers are crisp and lay beautifully. I think she is the one laying again too. We had a week of no eggs after Sunrise choked on a kernel and of grain and suffocated, but now we are getting an egg about every other day. Good thing I had some in the freezer.