Balding Hen??

[robinh]

i have two hens that are losing their feathers on their back, at first it was just the one and i thought maybe the rooster was giving her too much attention, and the the 2nd hen started having the same problem. the first one is almost completely bald on top of her back and the 2nd is not far behind. Does anyone know what this might be, if it is a disease or what? please help??

 

[Wes in Tx]

Most likely the rooster. Also check them over good for lice and mites.

 

[robinh]

thank you!

 

[silkiechicken]

If you only have hens, like Wes said, it's probably the rooster. I had one feisty roo and he did a number on the backs of 6 out of 10 hens...

 

[amymarie82]

A few days ago I noticed my Hen looks different. Then I realized her tail feathers are missing. And now she looks like she's losing more feathers. Here are a few pics. Nothing has changed, no new food or homing.

 

[amymarie82]

 

[KayTee]

A few days ago I noticed my Hen looks different. Then I realized her tail feathers are missing. And now she looks like she's losing more feathers. Here are a few pics. Nothing has changed, no new food or homing.

Hello amymarie82, and

Don't worry - your girl looks perfectly normal for a chicken that is moulting. It is a natural thing that happens to chickens in the autumn (or 'fall' if you live in the USA!

) The old feathers will fall out, to be replaced by new ones. For some birds the process is so gradual that it is hardly noticeable, but others will lose almost all their feathers in a very short time before starting to replace them. During this time all the bird's energy is devoted to re-growing feathers, and therefore she will probably stop laying (or lay very infrequently), as she does not have enough energy to produce both feathers and eggs at the same time.

As long as your girl is eating, drinking and pooping well then I wouldn't worry. I tend to give a higher-protein feed to my birds when they start to moult (some companies produce a special feed targeted at moulting birds) - I don't know if it is strictly necessary, but at least I feel that I am helping through the process

Should your bird start to show symptoms of lethargy, scratch far too often, stop eating, have abnormal poops etc then it would be time to consider other reasons for her feather loss, but at this time of year, with the feather loss that your bird is showing I would not think that there is anything more than normal moulting going on.

 

[junebuggena]

Normal molting. Nothing to worry about.