Chicken losing feathers ????

[RipsRidges2]

I have 5 hens, only 1 is losing feathers. She is eating and drinking fine. Same food and water as the rest. Still laying eggs. No sign of mites or anything. Not molting. She had bare spots starting around her vent, and has been progressing to her belly, and sides, and her chest. Noticed today that she is now losing them on her back in front of her tail. No sign of any growing back, I'm afraid she might freeze to death this winter. Mid-Michigan gets cold, already getting into the 20's. What can I do? Will they possibly grow back? HELP, Actually she is my favorite.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

How old and what breed of bird?

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Can you post pictures? Are the whole feathers gone, or do they looked stripped?

 

[Eggcessive]

She is probably being pecked by another chicken. Reasons for this can be overcrowding, too little protein in the diet, and boredom due to not getting outside to free range. They also may pick feathers when just hanging out in a coop. What do you feed them, and how much room? When I had some fewther loss a few years ago, I made a few one piece no-sew hen saddles/aprons out of polarfleece. If you Google polarfleece hen saddle and go up to images, there are several to look at. You can increase protein to Flock Raiser 20% protein, or give some high protein snacks.

 

[RipsRidges2]

How old and what breed of bird?

She is about 1-1/2 years old, a Golden Wyandotte.

 

[RipsRidges2]

Can you post pictures? Are the whole feathers gone, or do they looked stripped?

Whole feathers.

 

[RipsRidges2]

She is probably being pecked by another chicken. Reasons for this can be overcrowding, too little protein in the diet, and boredom due to not getting outside to free range. They also may pick feathers when just hanging out in a coop. What do you feed them, and how much room? When I had some fewther loss a few years ago, I made a few one piece no-sew hen saddles/aprons out of polarfleece. If you Google polarfleece hen saddle and go up to images, there are several to look at. You can increase protein to Flock Raiser 20% protein, or give some high protein snacks.

Not being pecked, not over crowded, lots of space and outside daily. What would you recommend for high protein? They all get Layena Pellets and Scratch, equal amounts daily. I also add oyster shell and grit to the food. I'm at a loss as to what is going on. Why just one and not all???

 

[RipsRidges2]

How old and what breed of bird?

Golden Wyandotte and 1-!/2 years

 

[Oolala]

This is a picture taken at the beginnig of November, she had been losing feathers for about two weeks before and I thought it strange for her to loose feathers in just this area and was very worried it could be mites etc. She was not being picked on by the others, no mites and stopped laying, but now the feathers are coming back and her bottom is starting to look fluffy again and she has been laying for the last week so it was just a partial molt. She is only a young chicken as she only started laying in June this year. Hope this helps in some way, any illness or loss of feathers is a worry but sometimes we worry more than is necessary

 

[RipsRidges2]

This is a picture taken at the beginnig of November, she had been losing feathers for about two weeks before and I thought it strange for her to loose feathers in just this area and was very worried it could be mites etc. She was not being picked on by the others, no mites and stopped laying, but now the feathers are coming back and her bottom is starting to look fluffy again and she has been laying for the last week so it was just a partial molt. She is only a young chicken as she only started laying in June this year. Hope this helps in some way, any illness or loss of feathers is a worry but sometimes we worry more than is necessary

That is what it started like. However it is getting much worse. I was just out with her and barely touched her tail and these basically dropped out. No sign of mites.