Bare butted chicken!!

[fightingbunny]

Does anyone know why my chickens would be getting bare spots on their stomach's/butts? I have one chicken with a lot of feathers missing and another that is looking similar but not as big a spot. The chickens were hatched in June and have been laying since December and seem healthy overall. I did not see any mites or missing feathers elsewhere on their bodies. The other two chickens seem unaffected. The vents are still feathered and look okay.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Could your hens be broody? I had a GLW that plucked out the feathers on her abdomen when she went broody (a surprise to me)...the first picture, especially, reminds me of her. She hatched and raised three chicks.

 

[fightingbunny]

My first thought was that they were feeling broody (as I am feeling that way for some spring chicks!!), but wouldn't the plucked area be more underneath and forward? I thought that was more "chest" area?

I am concerned that I might have a feather eater!! I don't mind a broody hen, but I don't want them fighting. We are in the middle of planning a much bigger coop as ours is a small temporary one, so I am worried they are too crowded.

 

[Fluffers]

Is that hen still laying? It could be red mites. I skimmed over this article, maybe you could find something usefull here:
www.thehappychickencoop.com/chicken-feather-loss-cause-and-cure/