Are they molting or is it something else!!!

[al6517]

Most of my Hens feathers seem to be weird. They are developing very fluffy areas around their vents and the bases of their tails, some have rather bare spots at the base of the tail and up the back an inch or two. they are free of mites and parasites, and are very healthy otherwise, some are worst than others all are fairly young with the oldest being just barely a yr old, and all are laying well. I have 45 Hens in with only 2 roosters, 2 of the hens seem to have a floppy comb. Is this a molt or something else??.

AL

 

[DDRanch]

Any way you could post a couple of pictures?

 

[al6517]

Getting dark now, but I can shoot a few in the am before work.

AL

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

If you have males that COULD be part of the problem, but I'm betting that picking is the issue. Males tend to select "favorites" and can hound those girls until they look ratty.

It usually happens in younger birds as their hormones are murder right now. And it's usually the birds that are at the very bottom of the pecking order (again, being the youngest birds until they learn how to fight back properly).

It sounds like these are production birds, possibly red sex-link or production reds or even black sex-links? I ask because of the comb issue, it seems like it "shouldn't" be in the flock, so no Leghorns in it?

I posted a similar problem awhile ago at another forum and found out that it's somewhat related to age, but it doesn't mean anything odd. As hormone levels increase (testosterone in older hens), the comb and wattles could start to grow larger than they once were.