Bought my chickens in April. They all act healthy. However a few of them are almost completely bald under the vent. No lice or mites visible and vents look good. Is this a molt or something to worry about? I have noticed some new feathers coming in but they are very bald in that area, probably a 2*2 area. it is very cold here in upstate ny.
Welcome to BYC. Hard to tell without pictures, but to me it sounds more like feather picking/plucking. How much space do they have ?
Hello and welcome to BYC. It would be helpful if you could upload a picture of the bird/s in question.
Coop is 8*12 and run is 12*24 I let them free range 2-3 hrs a day. I’ll try to post pics.i never see them pecking each other.
Don’t worry about the weather. This is when chickens molt. I cannot say I’ve ever had a chicken start molting there, but at this time I don’t know any other reason for the lack of feathers.
Welcome To BYC! Your title say 24-28wk molt. Are these pullets 24-28wks old, you got them as chicks? What type of food/treats do you have? How many birds do you have? It does look like feather picking - observe you pullets during roosting time, see if these are getting plucked then. The bottom (abdomen) on the pullet looks a bit "saggy" could be the photo, but I would feel of that, is it firm/hard or soft and pliable?
I got them as chicks. They have been together since weeks 1. Did the math and I believe they are 32 weeks as of today. I give them layer feed and about a cup of scratch per day. I have 17. I observed them a lot and they are nice to each other. All seems to roost in the same place. And I think it is the pic that makes it look like that but I’ll check tomorrow.