All my hens but one are missing feathers at the base of their tail

[Isaac 0]

Same problem here. I checked at night with a flashlight, no mites or lice. Treated them anyway. It seems to only affect the dark colored birds. I have seven coops/runs. 32 hens and 4 roosters. The 2 coops that are affected are out in the open. The rest are inside a fence and they are fine. I have welded wire and hardware cloth around the bottom. Also concrete around the bottom to stop predators from digging. Sparrows and wrens can still get in. They carry mites and lice. Feathers are full of protein.Chickens will pick each other for that protein. I raised their protein and treated them for mites. It may be overcrowded . Might be the pecking order.The dark ones are bare around the vent but still laying. I need help too!

How big is the coop?Do you see the roosters mating often?

 

[egghead@1265]

Either of you figure out the problem? We have several darkhens with the same issue! The white red and gray ones are fine, but the black have feathers missing.

I too have treated for lice and mites, several times.

 

[wehege]

Lice or mites could be the cause, and if so, I would recommend using Prozap Garden and Poultry Dust, but they could also be molting. For some reason, one of my hens is molting right now, so I wouldn't be too concerned.

 

[wehege]

We found our rooster with a raw red area around his vent. No discharge and checked for lice/mites. We thought maybe it was vent gleet but it says this is very rare in roosters. We found 2 other hens who are bald in the same area around their vent but not red or raw. We separated them from the flock, have fed them yogurt and put ACV in their water. There is no discharge, smell, or feces around their vents. We are leaning towards a bully picking feathers but it surprises me that my rooster would be the victim and it's all around the vent. Any thoughts???

 

[lioness27]

Our mystery continues. We found to 2 hens in the run one morning. Both were missing a large amount of feathers from their back to the base of their tails. No evidence of predation. No previous illness or disease. One of the dead hens was the one I suspected of bullying. It was really strange. Now another hen has become the bully. I caught her picking on another hen. I'm wondering if they lack enough room and stimulation. I've applied Blu Kote to all the other hen's bald spots but would like a more permanent solution. If I remove this hen, will another just take her place?

 

[rachelsflock]

It might help to go out the $ and buy some pinless peepers and put them on everyone for a few months. After the habit has been broken for a while, you can watch and see who restarts and just peeper the bully. If the bully continues even with peepers, removal might be a good idea.

You don't have to, but it might really help. Good luck!

 

[wehege]

Our issue is just the rooster. I read that "jealous" hens will pluck his feathers because they want his attention. We are contemplating rehoming the rooster but wonder if the hen will find a new target or if it's all jealousy.

 

[lioness27]

Thanks! I'll look into it! I'm just afraid that if I remove the bully, the next hen will take her place and be the bully. The peepers might work provided she can still see to eat and drink.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Thanks! I'll look into it! I'm just afraid that if I remove the bully, the next hen will take her place and be the bully. The peepers might work provided she can still see to eat and drink.

Which is why, when picking is the issue, it is important to look for and address underlying issues. ....often picking stems from environmental, nutritional or other root causes.

 

[coach723]

Sometime feather picking happens mostly at night on the roosts. Changing the spacing of your roosts so that they are not lined up 'head to butt' so closely can help. Can be done with both distance and angle, depending on your set up. Some birds like to roost in bunches and others prefer some space. Not meeting their needs will cause issues.
And if you have a bully, separating that bird (out of sight and hearing) for a couple of weeks can help. It will reset the pecking order. When that bird comes back it will have to re-earn it's place in the flock. It's not fool-proof, but very often can alleviate a bullying problem.
If it's just from over crowding, then the only solution is to provide them more space, or have less birds in the space you have.
Along with ensuring that there are no lice or mites, and increasing the protein in their feed, these are common fixes.