ChickenMama Summer
In the Brooder
- Apr 4, 2024
- 6
- 26
- 31
tl;dr Trying to figure out what this is
Backstory: In early winter last year, my two adopted girls started what I thought was molting, but they only seemed to lose feathers between their back and tail area.
Here:
Older girls around Jan-Feb (started maybe Nov or Dec)
new girl today
Her on Feb 14
Originally adopted 2 hens 2 roosters, over the spring/summer of last year. So I don't know their full backstory.
They didn't lose their feathers at exactly the same time. It did seem a bit dry/flaky from the beginning so I kept an eye on it. It never expanded, or bald spots elsewhere, so I've just been playing wait-and-see.
The feathers eventually started coming back in, slowly so I mostly put it out of my mind. They never fully feathered back out, however, and one has actually reversed. I think she may look worse now or as bad when it first showed up.
There were a couple of things going on when it first started in the older girls. They had been moved a few months (3 or 4) prior from the old coop to the new coop we built. Though they spent most of their time free-range in the same areas. We had begun introducing the new chicks. However, I think the major introductions started after the big girls started losing feathers.
It is now spreading to the new girls. For maybe a month or so. So while one of the bigger girls has at least gotten some feathers back, the other one is looking as bad or worse AND now one of my new, the littlest has it the worst.
It’s a larger area on her and goes further up her back.
The new hens are around 31 weeks old.
They have a regular chicken feed diet, free range most of the time and eat from around the property, and I give them worms and chicken scratch for snacks. As it warms up I’ll cut the chicken scratch back out again.
Don’t have any problems with overt aggression. There’s some of the typical chasing or light pecks from the big girls when I throw snacks but no major bullying, pulling feathers, pecking, etc.
The new run has straw that gets replaced or added to every once in a while. The new coop has sand that has some DE, First Saturday Lime, and a little Sweet PDZ mixed in. I’ve sprinkled some of the DE & FSL in all the corners, a little in the nesting boxes. But they aren’t rolling around in the coop or nesting boxes so I don’t think it’s from anything from in there.
I checked the littlest's vent, neck, and underwing areas and they all seem to be normal. At least on the little girl I’ve pictured here. I haven't checked the others. I never find a bunch of loose feathers in the coop or nesting boxes. Only this upper back area seems irritated and missing feathers. I’m almost wondering if it’s the rooster when he mounts them because I have seen feathers come off more than once when he does? He’s a pretty big guy. Or maybe it’s some kind of infection? Maybe some nutritional deficiency? I did give them more worms cause I read protein helps during molting. Though I haven't given them much the last couple months.
I think I should add that the rooster was looking pretty scruffy around the same time the older hens started looking scruffy. So even though it was late, it seemed like molting. Like them, he also took a while to start looking good. He, however, has fully recovered and looks fully feathered with a lovely shine.
Here's him from the side and his upper back also from mid-Feb.
Any thoughts here would be super helpful!
Ty!
Backstory: In early winter last year, my two adopted girls started what I thought was molting, but they only seemed to lose feathers between their back and tail area.
Here:
Older girls around Jan-Feb (started maybe Nov or Dec)
new girl today
Her on Feb 14
Originally adopted 2 hens 2 roosters, over the spring/summer of last year. So I don't know their full backstory.
They didn't lose their feathers at exactly the same time. It did seem a bit dry/flaky from the beginning so I kept an eye on it. It never expanded, or bald spots elsewhere, so I've just been playing wait-and-see.
The feathers eventually started coming back in, slowly so I mostly put it out of my mind. They never fully feathered back out, however, and one has actually reversed. I think she may look worse now or as bad when it first showed up.
There were a couple of things going on when it first started in the older girls. They had been moved a few months (3 or 4) prior from the old coop to the new coop we built. Though they spent most of their time free-range in the same areas. We had begun introducing the new chicks. However, I think the major introductions started after the big girls started losing feathers.
It is now spreading to the new girls. For maybe a month or so. So while one of the bigger girls has at least gotten some feathers back, the other one is looking as bad or worse AND now one of my new, the littlest has it the worst.
It’s a larger area on her and goes further up her back.
The new hens are around 31 weeks old.
They have a regular chicken feed diet, free range most of the time and eat from around the property, and I give them worms and chicken scratch for snacks. As it warms up I’ll cut the chicken scratch back out again.
Don’t have any problems with overt aggression. There’s some of the typical chasing or light pecks from the big girls when I throw snacks but no major bullying, pulling feathers, pecking, etc.
The new run has straw that gets replaced or added to every once in a while. The new coop has sand that has some DE, First Saturday Lime, and a little Sweet PDZ mixed in. I’ve sprinkled some of the DE & FSL in all the corners, a little in the nesting boxes. But they aren’t rolling around in the coop or nesting boxes so I don’t think it’s from anything from in there.
I checked the littlest's vent, neck, and underwing areas and they all seem to be normal. At least on the little girl I’ve pictured here. I haven't checked the others. I never find a bunch of loose feathers in the coop or nesting boxes. Only this upper back area seems irritated and missing feathers. I’m almost wondering if it’s the rooster when he mounts them because I have seen feathers come off more than once when he does? He’s a pretty big guy. Or maybe it’s some kind of infection? Maybe some nutritional deficiency? I did give them more worms cause I read protein helps during molting. Though I haven't given them much the last couple months.
I think I should add that the rooster was looking pretty scruffy around the same time the older hens started looking scruffy. So even though it was late, it seemed like molting. Like them, he also took a while to start looking good. He, however, has fully recovered and looks fully feathered with a lovely shine.
Here's him from the side and his upper back also from mid-Feb.
Any thoughts here would be super helpful!
Ty!
