JuliaSunshine
Songster
One by one, 3 hens started to show up looking shabby with their head and neck partially plucked. They're 7 month old.
It's like their feathers got broken in the middle. I can see the shafts.
All three are at the bottom of the pecking order but I don't see excessive bullying when all the 9 hens and 1 rooster are together.
They free range all day and the only time they're confined is for an hour or so before I let them out of the coop in the morning.
Her head and neck definitely looks less full compared to the others like below.
Are those three going through molting? I read that even young hens occasionally go through molt. But it's only their head and neck that lost or broken feathers.
Did the others pluck their feathers to eat the feathers because they lack protein? I sometimes see my chickens eating soft feathers.
I feed them 18% layer pellet and scratch.
Any ideas?
It's like their feathers got broken in the middle. I can see the shafts.
All three are at the bottom of the pecking order but I don't see excessive bullying when all the 9 hens and 1 rooster are together.
They free range all day and the only time they're confined is for an hour or so before I let them out of the coop in the morning.
Her head and neck definitely looks less full compared to the others like below.
Are those three going through molting? I read that even young hens occasionally go through molt. But it's only their head and neck that lost or broken feathers.
Did the others pluck their feathers to eat the feathers because they lack protein? I sometimes see my chickens eating soft feathers.
I feed them 18% layer pellet and scratch.
Any ideas?
