Chicken With Bald Patches

[bubbleberry]

This is Phoebe, she's an ex battery hen and is well in herself and eating. She isn't laying (to my knowledge) but I'm unsure of her age as she is a rescue.

She's had these bald patches for a while now, it started on her wings and has progressed. There are no other symptoms and I can't see evidence of mites, also the other chickens aren't affected. She is fed a mixture of layer pellets and mixed corn but she also has access to our garden which is around an acre- plenty of plants and grubs around.

Any ideas what could be causing this?

 

[ksbkeys]

Are the other chickens pulling her feathers and eating them? It could even be just one chicken doing this. I have had chickens just acquiesce to another chicken in this manner. Sometimes it is difficult to catch them in action. It often happens in the coop out of sight. If there is a light on in their coop this could lead to this behavior. (I use a light on a timer when daylight is less than 12 hours so I continue to get eggs).

Do you have a trail camera you can put in your coop to see?

Keep us posted what you find out!

 

[Eggcessive]

If she had the feather loss when you got her recently, she may not regrow feathers until she has her yearly molt. She looks like she has lost feathers from feather picking. I would increase her protein to 20% in a flock raiser type chicken feed.

 

[bubbleberry]

Are the other chickens pulling her feathers and eating them? It could even be just one chicken doing this. I have had chickens just acquiesce to another chicken in this manner. Sometimes it is difficult to catch them in action. It often happens in the coop out of sight. If there is a light on in their coop this could lead to this behavior. (I use a light on a timer when daylight is less than 12 hours so I continue to get eggs).

Do you have a trail camera you can put in your coop to see?

Keep us posted what you find out!

Possibly, none of the other birds are affected and there's never any blood. They only have natural daylight and we have a wildlife camera so I can put that in the shed and see! I think we have anti bite spray somewhere for the horses, would this work do you think?

 

[bubbleberry]

If she had the feather loss when you got her recently, she may not regrow feathers until she has her yearly molt. She looks like she has lost feathers from feather picking. I would increase her protein to 20% in a flock raiser type chicken feed.

Thank you! Would growers work? Or could I get a protein supplement?

 

[Eggcessive]

Grower feed is fine. I would just increase the protein in a feed. Occasional cooked egg or tuna would also be good.

 

[ksbkeys]

Possibly, none of the other birds are affected and there's never any blood. They only have natural daylight and we have a wildlife camera so I can put that in the shed and see! I think we have anti bite spray somewhere for the horses, would this work do you think?

I don't know about the anti bite spray...does anyone else here know?

 

[Eggcessive]

What exactly is the anti-bite spray? You could try some different products to see what works. A bad tasting ointment or cream such as Nustock cream, Vicks or BenGay menthol, Bag Balm, etc might work. BluKote dyeing spray to cover the red or bare spots may or may not work. You may have to experiment. Overcrowding, bullies, lice or mites, and boredom from not getting to free range are other reasons for feather picking. It is common in battery hens.

 

[bubbleberry]

What exactly is the anti-bite spray? You could try some different products to see what works. A bad tasting ointment or cream such as Nustock cream, Vicks or BenGay menthol, Bag Balm, etc might work. BluKote dyeing spray to cover the red or bare spots may or may not work. You may have to experiment. Overcrowding, bullies, lice or mites, and boredom from not getting to free range are other reasons for feather picking. It is common in battery hens.

It's the NAF No Bite Spray for horses, I sprayed a test patch on her last night and can't see any irritation so will continue to use it and see how it goes. Thanks!