Bald Chicken Belly/Chest

[Akoharski4]

hello everyone-
I am a new chicken owner and adopted eight hens back in February. Their ages are approximately 2 to 3 years old (although I’m not positive) because they were all adopted from a prior family.
Last week I noticed some feathers inside the coop but didn’t think much of it because one of our other hens just went broody. I assumed it was from her plucking some of her chest others out.

Yesterday I noticed a bald spot on a different hen and further investigated this morning. Her entire belly and chest is bald and it looks like she has a couple of cuts on her stomach as well. She’s eating, drinking, and free ranging just as she usually does. We currently use diatomaceous earth inside the coop as well as outside in the run. The coop is cleaned weekly and refreshed with pine shavings. The run is a construction sand and dirt mixture.
I’m wondering if she’s self plucking for reason or if she has some sort of buggers. we checked her vent feathers as well as the belly area and didn’t see anything. Her leg scales are in great shape. No sign of leg mites.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Photos attached below!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @Akoharski4 Welcome To BYC

Is she going broody too? The feathers look rubbed off, is this girl fairly active?
Does she roost?

The places on her breast look like breast blister that are healing fairly well from what I can see. I would watch those spots to make sure they don't get infected.
She may be resting on those during roosting and has rubbed some of the feathers off.
The skin looks pretty good, I don't think it just happened it's been like that while.

 

[Akoharski4]

Hi @Akoharski4 Welcome To BYC

Is she going broody too? The feathers look rubbed off, is this girl fairly active?
Does she roost?

The places on her breast look like breast blister that are healing fairly well from what I can see. I would watch those spots to make sure they don't get infected.
She may be resting on those during roosting and has rubbed some of the feathers off.
The skin looks pretty good, I don't think it just happened it's been like that while.

Thank you so much for your quick reply and the warm welcome. Although I feel like a bad chicken mama now.

She is very active and we also have aptly named her and another girl our “lesbi-hens”. We’ve caught them mounting several of our other girls multiple times.
She roosts every night with the other hens (minus our broody). I haven’t noticed her lingering in the nesting box so I’m not sure she’s going broody also. But it’s possible.
They free range on a 1acre for 5-7 hours every day. And they have a 14Lx8wx7h run that they’re in the remainder of the day. We’re slowly but surely letting them free range longer and longer.
Should I spray with some Veterycin? Or would it be best to leave it be?

Thank you again.

Ashley

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you so much for your quick reply and the warm welcome. Although I feel like a bad chicken mama now.

She is very active and we also have aptly named her and another girl our “lesbi-hens”. We’ve caught them mounting several of our other girls multiple times.
She roosts every night with the other hens (minus our broody). I haven’t noticed her lingering in the nesting box so I’m not sure she’s going broody also. But it’s possible.
They free range on a 1acre for 5-7 hours every day. And they have a 14Lx8wx7h run that they’re in the remainder of the day. We’re slowly but surely letting them free range longer and longer.
Should I spray with some Veterycin? Or would it be best to leave it be?

Thank you again.

Ashley

You can spray it with Vetericyn if you wish.

fwiw - mounting is not always about sex - it can be about dominance - the pecking order - it's not uncommon for higher ranking hens to mount a lower hen just to make it clear where they stand in the pecking order.

 

[Akoharski4]

You can spray it with Vetericyn if you wish.

fwiw - mounting is not always about sex - it can be about dominance - the pecking order - it's not uncommon for higher ranking hens to mount a lower hen just to make it clear where they stand in the pecking order.

I have read that (about the mounting) on another forum on BYC. I assume you’re right as she is the largest and seems like the bossiest. We were told she’s a Jersey Giant.

I assume those feathers will grow back with time? Luckily it’s warming up here in New Jersey. She also has a TON of fluffy feathers around her bottom so that’s mostly why it has gone unnoticed. While she’s standing you can’t see any balding believe it or not.

Thank you again for your informative responses!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Likely when she molts she will grow some new feathers.
Could be she's top hen. A lot of times it's not the biggest, but the one with the most attitude