Feather loss in the rear....

[jgcalifornia]

My Salmon Faverolle seems to have lost her feathers only around her bum area..I thought maybe this was the beginning of her molt, but no other areas seem to have any feather loss.
You can already see new growth coming in, but I wasn't sure if this was normal or not?

Thanks for any help.

 

[aquagolda]

yes im sure she will be fine its happened to me before too

 

[abserbean]

New feathers will grow if the feather picker pulls out the whole shaft. If they just break it off, no new feathers until molt in the area.(at least that is how I understand it, and what I have observed on my girls) It looks like a feather picker to me, I have one in my flock and the two hens that roost beside her have bums just like your girl's backside. It is a very hard habit to break, one I haven't had much success with. I do blue kote their bottoms, so other birds aren't tempted to peck the exposed skin.

 

[Mrs. K]

Personally, I am not a big worrier about my chickens.

If there are new feathers growing back, then all is well.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

Quote:
Blukote is an antiseptic, you can get it at Tractor Supply and probably other farm type stores.

It's most useful where a wound is bleeding to help fight any infection and to camouflage the red color of blood as chickens are drawn to it and will continue to peck at it.
I've found that the dark blue color also can attract attention of even the wounded bird itself.

It stains badly so beware of that if you use it. I spray some into a small cup and apply to bird with a qtip or small paint brush.

 

[abserbean]

Your girl's rear doesn't look too bad and as long as the new feathers are growing in you should be okay. I used the blue kote b/c my girl's bums were bright red, causing the other hens to try and peck at them. They still have bald bums, but they aren't so red anymore, hopefully they will grow some feathers soon!

 

[jgcalifornia]

Is it molting?

thanks.

 

[donrae]

That's not any molting I've ever seen. Have you checked for mites? or could another bird be pecking?

 

[jetdog]

You have a feather picker,I have one that only does it when they are on the roost, the one lucky enough to be next to her ends up with a pecked bum.

 

[aart]

I'd say it was molt...... because, as far as I know, new feathers only grow in after a molt?