2 Road Island Red hens have some feathers missing in the neck area?

[HudsonValleyGirl]

Hi everyone.

I have two of my Road Island Red hens that are missing some neck feathers. Not a lot but I can see some skin. I looked all over for lice and a few nights ago I went out at night and looked inside their coop for mites with a flash light and saw none. I do treat the coop with DE weekly when I clean and I put some lice and mite dust in their nesting box, on top of it, and on their roost.


What do you think it could be? Should I give them some electrolytes and see if this helps them?

<My dad said that maybe I have two pluckers. He also said that my egg production has been good and I shouldn't worry, but I am a little.

Thanks Janice

 

[NoseyChickens]

Do you have roosters? They could be pulling out the neck feathers when mating. Also it's just that time of year for chickens to be moulting. Half my chickens are half naked right now and there are feathers flying everywhere in my yard.

 

[HudsonValleyGirl]

No rooster!

 

[stormylady]

Is it just all around there neck or on the throat or on the back of the neck? Just asking because My chickens "clean" each others faces off if theyve had yogurt or mashed potatoes that stick to them and they pull the feathers out sometimes but it is mostly face and beard feathers and on the underside of the neck.

 

[sydney13]

maybe they are in molt?

 

[Denninmi]

More dominant hens will pluck head and neck feathers on less dominant hens. At its worst, any breed can end up looking like a naked neck. You can try anti-pecking spray or possibly those "pinless peepers" things they use on pheasants to prevent them from killing each other (never used them, but I've heard them help a lot with pecking issues).