10 month old pullet has lost feathers near tail, skin red.

[LittleChickaBiddy]

I have three hens, all ten months of age kept together in an enclosed run with coop attached. One of the hens, my RIR has lost some feathers, in a horse shoe shape above her tail. All her tail feathers are in tact, fluffy bloomers intact, laying like a champ, and looks great overall. Good appetite, normal poop, not stressed or picked on (she is the top ranking chicken, in fact)
The feather loss seems to be underneath her main feathers, you have to kind of gently push her tail feathers to the side or lift the lower back feathers to see it well. It is pretty much bald in a 1.5 inch strip, and RED skin, although not scabby oozing or broken at all. A couple of feathers are starting to sprout back out there as of today. I noticed this a week or so ago. No mites or lice that I can see. They get layer crumbles, free range lots of green weeds and bugs, treats of sunflower seeds, leftovers, flaxseed, etc.
Can anyone help??

 

[Zoey]

Do you have a rooster ?

sometimes when they mount a particular hen frequently, they get a bare back...

pale skinned chickens can get sunburned. when bare patches are exposed, or windburned, more pink from the cold ...

Anyway they could have just been picked out, or some other reason.. just keep an eye .. as long as they are growing back, it' shouldn't be a worry..

Can you post a picture ?

Others may have more to say ...

 

[LittleChickaBiddy]

Nope, no rooster. The bare spot isn't really exposed to the sun, it is covered by the backwards pointing feathers in front of it. I will try to post a pic tomorrow. Thanks for your input

 

[Zoey]

Could she have been grabbed by an animal, a dog or something ?

Yes, a picture would help...

 

[alaskachick]

Hi I had the exact same thing on one of my Buff Orps. I couldn't figure out why it was happening, but I knew they were being pulled out because there was only that one bald, red skinned, place at the base of where her back and tail meet. I decided to put some of that lotion stuff that you can buy at the feed store. It tastes and smells bad to chickens so they don't come near that spot. Either she was plucking her own feathers or another chicken was doing it, but it stopped and her feather grew back as fast as they were able.