Feathers broken and stripped completely-not getting new feathers

[lamccasker57]

My 1.5 yo Sizzle, Maddie, is smaller than any of my other Silkies. She and her sister joined the flock last year and there were no issues until this spring when they were molting.
That’s when we noticed that Maddie was almost naked and not from molting! The rest of the flock has almost denuded the poor little girl.
Some of her feathers are broken off right at the entry to the skin, others are longer. But most of the major feathers have been stripped- leaving only the shaft.
It’s been more than 2 months and none of the broken/stripped feathers are being replaced with new feathers. The feathers that were completely gone are growing back normally, although slower than I would like.
I think Maddie is embarrassed - she try’s to cover up her bare back with grass and flowers when we’re outside - it’s adorable, but sad as well.
Can anyone advise me on what I can do to help her out?
Am I going to have to do something to aid in the process of removing the broken feather shafts? If so, how should I go about it, so I don’t cause her more pain?

 

[azygous]

Spring is not usually when chickens molt unless you're talking about "fall" in the southern hemisphere. Clarifying where you're located on the planet really does help us get a better picture of your issues and how climate and season may be playing a role.

Have you observed the others plucking Maddie? Have you seen her being bullied away from the feeder? How many chickens and feeders do you have?

I've had hens in the past not molt for mysterious reasons. I have one right now that is only beginning to grow in new feathers after nearly two years of wearing her same old outfit. I had a hen many years ago that went longer than that, and I had to spray sunscreen on her back so she wouldn't get blistered when she went outside the run.

I've read that you can force a molt by introducing high grade protein into their diet, but that never seemed to work in my experience.

 

[A.M. Eggs]

Feathers that have been broken will not grow back until the part that is left is removed. Feathers that have been pulled out completely will grow back.