Have you noticed this at all? Claire. Youll only see this in the hens, because roosters will be the culprits behind this behavior. While most rodents make their way inside a coop in search of the free grain, some will stay and go after the chickens if theyre bored or large. When people find out their chicken is molting, the first question they ask is, can you stop the molt? Hi I have just come back from holiday and one of my favourite chickens is losing/lost feathers from her neck. It looks like they are the only ones who are being targeted and they lose more and more feathers every day. What could cause this. They have lived together for a year now so Im not sure what has changed. Please help!!!!!! Hi Fantasy, What should I do? Molting? why your chicken might lose feathers as well as what you can do about it to Trim vent feathers carefully, making sure you don't trim too close to the skin, injuring the bird. I have 3 hens. My girls have very few feathers on their breast now they look a bit rough everywhere else too not sure if its moulting as they are about 18 months old, but Ive disinfected the hut a few times and pressure washed it. Is there anything you could tell me about that? Keep her well fed and make sure to and also keep her water filled up with vitamins. Hi Gwen, broodiness to stop her from pulling out her own feathers. Watch them interact with each other, and see what leads to displays of aggression among the flock. My 10 month old rooster has been losing his feathers. Hi, We have two chickens (Rhode Islands Reds). When we moved in, we were getting five eggs a day. If you're using the concentrate, follow the instructions that come with the bottle and mix a generous amount of it in a bucket. production has stopped. Hi Karen, If you are certain is isnt a molt, I would check them for mites! Hi Claire I have noticed this on one of my birds this morning they are all loosing feathers but one of them as it quails in the back and no feathers in two big patches. Inspect your chickens by pushing apart the feathers to look for the cause of the loss. One of our silkies was attacked by a dog. She lays every day and isnt itchy so we think she doesnt have lice. Will those feathers eventually grow back? You need to make sure that no blood has been drawn- chickens love to peck a red colored things! Is there something I can do to get them to stop pulling out the new growth? She does seem to be the roos side kick but I am mildly concerned. Fortunately, if your rooster is placed with several hens, then this balding wont be noticeable. So the first thing you can do is stop feeding them layers of pellets and give them food with a higher protein percentage. However it seems even 2 days after separating them, she is still losing a lot of her and I am not sure if it is a stress reaction or molting or both? This should settle down in a few days if you introduce the chickens to each other properly. If you notice youve had the same hen hanging The quills are still on her body, but the feathery part is gone. If you have a rooster, overzealous breeding behaviors might be to blame for some feather loss. There are two reasons for this. There are no feathers and the skin looks red. Still getting 5 eggs everyday. Hi Louise, https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/7-reasons-why-your-chickens-stopped-laying-eggs/ They are free ranging over 1/2 acre so are definitely not bored. During winter/spring she is beautiful and fluffy. She turned up in our neighbors yard, but the night before we found her, she had taken shelter in nothing but a dip in the snow. They are all around 5-6 months old. We have seven chickens that are one year old. one Hen appears to be self mutilating by plucking her chest feathers and the eggs laying has pretty much stopped. If you want to know more about chickens, quail, and goats, The Happy Chicken Coop is the place to be! One particular poor little hen (she is a bantam I think) was the favourite for a much bigger cockerel and his mounting caused an awful lot of feathers to be ripped out, which dont look to be growing back. Thanks!0. When you say to dust the chickens what kind of dust? The other 4 hens show no sign of molting and they have full beautiful feathers. This disease can cause a disgusting whitish yellow discharge to ooze from the vent, along with serious loss of feathers. With it being on their back, I suspect the pin feathers are getting worn off with mating. Happy Chicken Coop, This may result in the bird letting go of the chicken and flying away with a talon full of feathers instead. Hello, I have 3 hens about 1 year old. Sounds like she certainly could be being bullied. Hi, we have recently moved to a property that came with 6 laying hens and a rooster. But no change in a long time with regrowth and now there are quite a few feathers on the floor..? Removing the chickens missing feathers from the flock temporarily. Its still in the 30s here so I know they have to be pretty cold. It can rapidly lead to cannibalism. Could it be that it is old and it is dying? Make sure your chickens have access to a clean dust bath. This is normally closely linked to daylight hours. In other words, it's the baby maker and the exit for their birdy poo. She could also have parasites like lice and mites. Claire. Claire, Hello, I hope you can respond but I have noticed on my chicken/hen, on her belly she is missing some feathers but I dont know why. Vent Gleet Vent gleet is also known as a fungal infection of the gastrointestinal tract. If your chicken is infested with mites it is common for them to lose their feathers but usually only around the vent area. what kind of dusting powder do you need to get rid of mites? In both cases, you can use poultry dust from your local hardware store to remove the parasites. (I have four Polish Crested and one Silkie.) loohoo; . Moulting is a natural annual process where your chicken replaces its entire compliment of feathers over a few weeks. You need to be careful about altering your Hi May, Step 4. She is the only hen out of a dozen that molts this completely and she keeps doing it every year. For a hen to grow their feathers back they need plenty of protein. Still one of her wing feathers had a black base when it fell out. My other hen is an every other day girl. However if she hasnt had feathers for a while it sounds to me like she is being bullied. I live in the uk, have 3 hens (this is their second summer on earth) and one of them has lost a line of feathers from right underneath her belly, between her legs. Yes it definitely sounds too early for them to have their first molt- this normally occurs when they around 18 months old. In my experience chickens tend to need around 2-3 weeks to settle in to a new environment. This is like when people lose skin cells or hair. As these birds are still losing feathers I contacted my vet and they suggested possible deplumbing mite so I have treated with ivermectin. Broody hens will peck at their chest feathers. Even if you dont see mites or lice on your chickens, they can cause serious problems. The other hen has just finished molting, and is starting to grow her feathers back. is there skin supposed to be bright bright neon pink in the area where the feather loss is ? My Welsummer is the only one molting. We are new to raising chickens, and have had 8 hens since chicks last May. We mentioned above that when chickens molt, they require much protein to make their new feathers. Registered User. I have 1 hen this year that is still bald on her back. Bones are sticking out, and the rooster keeps treading on her. She is still a homeless little girl. The best way to increase her protein is by changing her feed to game feed Can you email us a photo and we will see how we can help! Its summer here (January) so I dont think she would be molting. Your hen could be plucking out her own feathers (maybe out of stress) so you could try putting a diaper or cloth over her vent area, to stop her or other chickens from plucking the feathers out. Thoughts? Signs of vent gleet include a runny bottom, redness, and feathers that are stuck together or falling out. Thank you so much, This can be depluming mites.. my chickens have the same problem! Know Your Chickens is a free resource dedicated to teaching backyard chicken owners more about their flock. They do provide some protein but not much. Red bums how do I take care of it. Most of our flock have feathers missing from neck, breast, back and butt. Our first thought was that another animal had been attacking her, but if that were the case, I think she would have bite marks as well. Are you sure they arent just starting their molt? The final reason chickens will bully each other is because there isnt enough room in their coop or run. She doesnt seem bothered it but if there is anything we could do? Otherwise, spend some time observing your flock. I add a solution to their water once a week to prevent this and it has always been successful. She just seems tired like the others had been picking on her. Go to official bank website Molting can take anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks or more. Hi Claire, It could likely be delayed stressed from all the moving. These remedies can make your coop smell better too. Is this normal? Your email address will not be published. We dont have males and I know she is not Brody because I saw her out and about at least three times today..i cleaned today the coop and I guess Ill check tomorrow for lice. I would take a read of our why your hen stopped laying article Claire. It can cause feather loss anywhere, but it will usually be around the vent area. Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures, What is wrong with my chickens feathers? Are the barred rocks kept in the same coop as the RIRs? Claire. Since beginning of May-ish, they dropped to 1 or 2 eggs every other day. https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/the-definitive-guide-to-keeping-chickens-in-winter-chapter-five/ A few more developed the same bald patch, it looks like feathers are trying to grow, some of the bald spots are bright red (no blood). lmeneghin. I am new at this, but you could read up about lice. They are in a brand new coop, but are not able to completely free-range as previously, due to predators. It sounds like a molt to me. Their next home was a 2 car garage until we could complete the new coup, which was larger than their previous dwelling. You will easily notice that she is broody because she wont leave the nesting box and rarely eat. I dont have a rooster. You can buy red mite dust from your local farm store Stress such as extreme heat, water or food deprivation and illness can induce moulting. You can read more about it here. There is 1 rooster. Take her out and pat the wet area dry with a clean old towel. Is there any way to stop this or is it just due to stress? Most hawk You will notice when they start to molt, they lose feathers around their neck first. How much apple cider vinegar is needed in their water? At Tractor Supply they cost $12.99, but last quite a while. I have 34 chicks but only one chick is loosing feathers after suffering mosquito bites. I go lt them last October. Make sure you rule out all of these other potential causes, but then work through the environment of your birds to make sure you arent missing anything. They were laying well , then all of the sudden it reduced to half the amount of eggs. My other 2 chickens seem fine. They climb all over each other at night, wondering if they are clawing each other, but you would think the other chicks would have it to, I just cant figure this out. Avoid changing the diet of your birds unless Kenzie. We have tried putting a light in their coop to make their day longer, but no luck. Molting is when chickens lose old feathers and then will grow new feathers to replace the old ones. That being said, its often cheaper and easier to prevent this disease for settling in in the first place. 4. They integrated fairly well. Out of ideas, How do I know my chickens have a disease or that they are molting its Been going on for about 2 months and is just getting worse I dont think its molting but want to be sure. Any suggestion please. Hi Annette, If you want her to stop being broody get her some fertilized eggs to hatch or get the eggs away from her, and make sure she doesnt lay on any eggs. Claire, We inherited 11 unsexed chicks, transpired that 3 were cockerels and the 8 hens are various breeds and sizes. 1. Not sure what is going on, Hi Lori, Unfortunately, pin feathers are really tempting, especially when surrounded by the red of irritated skin. All their beaks were broke off and feathers were damaged( broke off and missing) what can I do to help them, Hi Bridgette, The area looks red. This is a fungal infection in your chickens vent, which is where they expel eggs and waste. She (red one) usually sleeps in the nesting box, where I had added some lavender herbs to the sand..she doesnt stay in all day however, just sleeps there, then in to lay eggs late morning, and the outside. I had put them on pellets where before they were on a mesh at the other farm. By changing their diet, if youre not careful, you can reduce the amount of protein your chickens are getting, and this can cause them to molt. Hi Donna, Is it possible that the rooster is doing it? just today She has spent almost all day in the brooding box. We have barred plint rocks, they were hatched march 1, 2016. I do have a roo who has picked her has her as his favorite but Teanie just keeps losing more and more feathers. Could you email me so I can send photos? Maggots infest the dead skin cells of the chicken. my 14 month old chicken has been laying eggs until about 2 weeks ago and she is losing lots of feathers in her back end area. The entire flock is young and had just started laying. Parasites can cause your hens to lose their feathers and also stop laying eggs. Make sure she doesnt have any infections or parasites. Any ideas what can we do? Now I was wondering if that was just because it was already dead and not getting any nutrition. We have had to rehome two of the cocks, but this little hen (Michelle is her name) still doesnt have her feathers.

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