Bald Polish Rooster

[m&m chickens]

HELP!!! the pride and joy of my flock - Fernando, our white crested Polish rooster is BALD!!! He literally lost ALL of his head feathers over night! He's eating, drinking, pooping just fine. Still seems in charge of his girls. I haven't noticed anyone picking at him, as he is the alpha male of the 2 roosters....and believe me, I have been watching him obssesively for 3 days since this happened. I thought about pulling him from the flock and bringing him up the garage, but I don't want to ruin the pecking order in the flock, and Fernando doesn't like to be away from his girls. Any ideas on what's going on, or what to do????

 

[Country4ever]

lice/mites?

 

[BCbirder]

I have had that happen to my Polish Rooster. Was he growing in his feathers? Sometimes when the feathers are still growing and they have the white casing on them the others peck it. It made me think of the phrase "snatch you bald headed"!

It looked pretty ugly.

When it would grow in they would leave it for a few days and then it would happen again. I have to keep him separate until it grew in completely. You may have to take out the other roosters too if you want to help him maintain status.


You may have to watch them and see if you have any other clues. I think if it were mites then you would see them around the vent area and those feathers would be affected first. I use DE and have a place for the chickens to have dirt baths in in the winter so they don't get bugs.

 

[stcroixusvi]

I just posted in a another thread about the butt feathers of our polish rooster. We also have a wc polish who is now in confinement because the hens LOVED his head feathers and plucked them out. Chickens are cruel. Within two days, the feathers are now growing back.

 

[Jessica1228]

Is he completely bald? I would check for mites. They love getting in there and hiding; especially if it’s moist or has that “head cheese” smell. How does his skin look?

Sounds like what happened to our guy a few years ago. I blamed the hens as well. They started going crazy over his head all the sudden one day. I still have no clue why.

 

[m&m chickens]

So I think those of you who said the hens were picking at him were correct....I was "not watching" them today, and noticed a few of his girls poking around his head. And he was just letting them!! Such a gentleman! LOL Is removing him from the flock the only way to get them to grow back?
I don't think it's lice or mites...no one else seems affected at all, and I checked everyone today, no signs of missing feathers. I'm going use some DE just in case.
Thank you for your input!!

 

[Eggcessive]

I had a polish pullet (1 of 2) last summer that the same thing happened twice just as some new feathers came in. Had to separate her with some friends for 6 weeks.. I would do as the above poster suggested--SEPARATE him with the other roos. He will keep his his roo status, then when you put them back in he will still be #1.

 

[BCbirder]

Separating was the only way I could do it. Once the hens get the idea to do it they will do it again. Especially since he is so gentle, he seems to accept their pecks.
I put my guy in thinking it was fine and after a few days he was pecked again.I felt so bad. All that alone time and he had to start over.
He was out until it was fully grown in. I did let him go for visits sometimes if I was there.

It didn't happen again but I did separate him out so that he was only in with his polish girls. They did not seem to be too interested in pecking him.

 

[m&m chickens]

So it's happening again!!! Poor guy was in confinement for almost a month!! His feathers grew back to about 3"-4", so I put him back with his girls, and within 2 days they have him half way bald again!!! Ugh!!! Someone suggested treating his head with Blue coat?? ANy input on this????

 

[henhouse3]

I have a flock of 3 white...1 rooster (so gentle) and 6 brown...a little more aggressive. I noticed yesterday that the white rooster is bloody in the back of his head and missing feathers too. Now today, one of his hens. I'm not sure how to separate because I have 1 year olds outside. The new hatch of 25 birds (lakenvelders, leghorns, japanese bantams, and these polish) have been in the same area since May and were hatched in April. Would it be worse to put it with the older roosters (2 red phyle and 1 japanese bantam)? HELP out of room.