Bald back on hen...

[holderh]

hi!

A few months ago i got 5 hens and a rooster from some one who didnt take care of them very well...they were all missing feathers and it wasnt due to a molt. i thought they were feather picking each other cause where they came from they werent being fed properly and they had several other birds so i believe they were over crowded. It has been about 6 months now and everybody has their feathers back except for one of the hens. She is completly bald on her rear and some of her back and it isnt due to the rooster cause i gave him away a after a month of having him. When i introduced them to my original flock they had their normal little pecking order issues but everybody gets along fine; however, she does seem to be at the bottom of the pecking order. She is a california white the best i can tell. I havent noticed any of them picking at her feathers but they are not growing back...Is there something i can put on her to help her grow them back or will they come back in when she goes through a molt. they are around a year old and to my knowledge they have never molted.

Thanks so much for your responses!

 

[av8rwife]

I'm hoping that someone will answer your questions as well. I too have 4 hens that their backs are bare, some of the feathers are broken off. I had seperated the roos so that I know that's not the problem. I'm not finding excess feathers in the coop/run so if they are pecking each other then they are eating them. I had also heard that mice will eat the chickens feathers as well (we've had a HUGE mice problem in the coop/run). The mice are no longer eating the bait out of the traps (which the chickens can't get into) so I don't know what I'll do next.

 

[CorinneP]

any mites on her ?

 

[Ridgerunner]

If the feather is missing completely it will grow back. If any of the shaft is still in there, it won't grow back until she molts. Often chickens don't go through a molt their first winter, so it could be this.

Checking them for mites or lice is a good idea. It's probably that she is waiting for a molt, but don't make assumptions. Check it out.

 

[holderh]

I havent seen any lice on them but what would be a good way to prevent them? Do you think spraying Blue Kote on her will help?

 

[Chickadeeee]

Inspecting (or having a vet inspect) her for mites is a good idea. However, if it's not that, the other chickens could be picking at her new baby feathers as soon as they start to regrow...never good. There are special "saddles" and "diapers" you can order to protect your chicken's skin until the feathers regrow enough to protect her skin from the other pecking birds... I included some links where you can view chicken saddles and diapers below.

Good luck! :}

http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Diapers-and-Saddles-c43.aspx

http://www.hensaver.com/index.html?gclid=CKOR3OvsgLACFQ5ThwodsVwgTw