Bald spots, no injuries

[KristiM]

One of my hens has a few bald spots behind her comb, and another hen is developing one by her ear. I got ahold of each of them and I don’t see any injury to the skin, no damage or skin issues... just... baldness. I’ve checked them over for mites or anything, and they all look really clean and good.

What can I do to help, or is this part of natural molting? Is it from other hens or my rooster?

I keep them in an overbuilt tractor coop that is moved daily, so they have fresh grass/ground every day, and no issues with predators. As far as I know they’re all Australorp (except one who has weird yellow skin under the black), all are about 7 months old.

Lastly, is it normal to have eggs with a multicolor shell?
Thanks for your input. I’m a newbie at all this, and I appreciate your wisdom.

 

[DobieLover]

One of my hens has a few bald spots behind her comb, and another hen is developing one by her ear. I got ahold of each of them and I don’t see any injury to the skin, no damage or skin issues... just... baldness. I’ve checked them over for mites or anything, and they all look really clean and good.

What can I do to help, or is this part of natural molting? Is it from other hens or my rooster?

I keep them in an overbuilt tractor coop that is moved daily, so they have fresh grass/ground every day, and no issues with predators. As far as I know they’re all Australorp (except one who has weird yellow skin under the black), all are about 7 months old.

Lastly, is it normal to have eggs with a multicolor shell?
Thanks for your input. I’m a newbie at all this, and I appreciate your wisdom.

I see pin feathers coming in so the feathers were pulled out.
Are the pullets submitting to your cockerel or is he forcing them? If they object and try to get away, he may pull feathers out.
How is he at mounting them? If he's clumsy he may pull them out during mating.

 

[aart]

I keep them in an overbuilt tractor coop that is moved daily, so they have fresh grass/ground every day, and no issues with predators. As far as I know they’re all Australorp (except one who has weird yellow skin under the black), all are about 7 months old.

How many birds in how big a tractor?
Could be a crowding issue.

Lastly, is it normal to have eggs with a multicolor shell?

Yep, just a spray booth glitch......or she may always lay like that.

 

[Krazikatlady64]

I have a BR that is 8 months old. She is so sweet. Every time she goes in the nesting box to lay, one of the RIRs pecks her head. Her head is bald. None of the others bother her. Once she is out of the box no one pecks her. I think the RIRs are a little inbread and crazy.

 

[AllisonJ]

One of my hens has a few bald spots behind her comb, and another hen is developing one by her ear. I got ahold of each of them and I don’t see any injury to the skin, no damage or skin issues... just... baldness. I’ve checked them over for mites or anything, and they all look really clean and good.

What can I do to help, or is this part of natural molting? Is it from other hens or my rooster?

I keep them in an overbuilt tractor coop that is moved daily, so they have fresh grass/ground every day, and no issues with predators. As far as I know they’re all Australorp (except one who has weird yellow skin under the black), all are about 7 months old.

Lastly, is it normal to have eggs with a multicolor shell?
Thanks for your input. I’m a newbie at all this, and I appreciate your wisdom.

Hi Kristi,
Did you ever figure out what the issue is? I have the exact same problem with two of my australorps and saw your pictures when I searched the website. I don’t see any parasites on them. One of them is at the top of the pecking order and the other at the bottom but they both have the bald spots. They are almost 10 months old and I have 6 hens, no rooster. Any help is appreciated!
Thank you!

 

[AllisonJ]

Hi Kristi,
Did you ever figure out what the issue is? I have the exact same problem with two of my australorps and saw your pictures when I searched the website. I don’t see any parasites on them. One of them is at the top of the pecking order and the other at the bottom but they both have the bald spots. They are almost 10 months old and I have 6 hens, no rooster. Any help is appreciated!
Thank you!

 

[KristiM]

Hi Kristi,
Did you ever figure out what the issue is? I have the exact same problem with two of my australorps and saw your pictures when I searched the website. I don’t see any parasites on them. One of them is at the top of the pecking order and the other at the bottom but they both have the bald spots. They are almost 10 months old and I have 6 hens, no rooster. Any help is appreciated!
Thank you!

I thought the problem might be solved by giving a few away- I had enough square space for all of them, but they may have felt crowded, so I found another coop and gave two to my mother in law. Then we lost one to a hawk.

Today, one hen showed up nearly half bald. So I don't think it's overcrowding.
Maybe boredom? Or just plain bullying?

 

[AllisonJ]

Thanks for your quick reply! You just gave me a thought....I am starting to think that they are doing it at night because I have allowed them to sleep in a nesting box (6 hens) rather than on the roost. Their routine is to all try to cram in there at dark (I just let them do it because I thought maybe they were cold) and gradually they come out and sleep on the floor of the coop. I am going to start putting them on the roosts. Thanks!

 

[bhawk-23]

I am having the same issue with one of my Black Australorps too! We had a rooster and I figured it was him but he's been gone for a month or so now. She is behaving completely normal and is healthy. But the bald spot is just holding. Did moving them out of the box to the roosts work for you?

 

[bhawk-23]

Bumping up. Hoping someone has some experience or insight on this!