Chickens going bald

[Kiwibird]

I am quite surprised at how many posts I have seen lately about feather loss, in the absence of visible parasites, observed feather pecking and so on. I do wonder if there is a reason for this.

However, when birds moult naturally people often recommend raising the amount of protein and oil in the diet, and it may help where there is another cause. Sprouted seeds are higher in protein than unsprouted grains, lucerne (alfalfa) is high in protein, and unsalted meat scraps form the kitchen can be fed as well. Free ranged birds will eat bugs and add protein to their diet by doing so. Even letting them out for 30 minutes before sunset will help in this regard, and that doesn't give them time to wreck your garden.

Cod liver oil can be added to the food, approximately a tablespoon per 6 birds once a week.

These are just things that may help. I'm still puzzled by the number of bald bird posts I have seen though.

 

[cmsjr57]

I don't see feather foluciles on parts of the back or belly? the legs look perfect to me. 17% lay pellets is more than adequate and supliment with grain. I can only think some sort of feather mite? I have been around chicken for 50 yrs. and never had a problem like this. sometimes when a hen will set she looses belly feathers but they always grow back. evidentally the dust isn't working if it is mites. try a liquid spray for the entire coop real strong with a pump up sprayer then dilute it so you can spray directly on your fowl. I wish I could say exactly why your loosing feathers, I can't but keep the saddles off until you put a roostr back in the pen and then only if neccessary. I've never used one. One more thing you might try is a wormer that will kill both internal and external parasites, like ivomec or one from that family of wormers.

 

[aveca]

You know we are suffering throu this also, some are tottaly unaffected some are loosing face feathers and neck the strangest is the rooster who is in his own pen we thought at first strange molt , usually they molt around rear end but these are all head and neck and the rooster has very nice shiney feathers all over except where feathers are trying to grow back in around neck they are strange and long and not very good looking no sheen dull...looks like a ring neck vulture..weird and he is mysteriously lame too but that might be an injusy even the vet was perplexed as no sign of foot problems , might be high fracture , he was vaccinated for mereks at one day ...so its not that...vet took skin sample from his neck a well as a couple hens looking for fungus or skin infection of some sort yet she said there is no visible sign of any sort of infection she said someone should do an analasis of feeds to see if there is an overload of pesticides..they are supplemented with 27% calf manna during this trying to help grow back proper feahters..vet feels there is something in the environment little like the canary in the coal mine as she is seeing a lot of it... Find offending culprit but what is it? have to do a little detective work..plus she told me there is a farm where birds of all sorts were just dropping dead ..wild birds chickens birds of prey and at the moment it is a bit of a mystery as to what is causing it...possibl;y gas well drilling and ground water but test results arnt back yet...so unknown at this point..we treat spring and fall for lice as we show so even vet said no sign of parasites whatsoever.

we have had many bad molts over the many years we have had chcikens and some were just pitiful and all recovered this is a little different..

 

[rdips]

I just got 3 chickens from a young man who was only feeding corn and they look just like the birds in the picture, I hope by getting them on a better diet and into better living conditions they will feather out before winter sets in. If not I fear they wont make it through the west Michigan winter months.