Dread Disease or Molting?

[rebbetzin]

I will take a photo tomorrow, but... Both my Barred Rocks are losing feathers on their heads and necks. I took a cllose look and don't see anything like bugs. I dusted them with DE. Only one of my Buff Orpingtons has molted. And when she did it, there were feathers everywhere, and she looked pretty awful. There have only been a few Barred Rock feathers in the run. Everyone is still laying, I get three to four eggs a day, from four chickens.

Any Ideas? I will post a photo tomorrow.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'll just offer these links. With feathers coming off the heads and necks, I'd really consider molting. That's where it starts.

Mississippi State describes molting
http://msucares.com/poultry/management/poultry_feathers.html

Kansas State feather loss
http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/mf2308.pdf

Good Luck!

 

[rebbetzin]

Well, while trying to get a decent photo of my chickens that had the lack of feathers on their heads and necks, I noticed now it looks like the areas have new tiny feathers coming in!! So.. I guess it was just a molting thing going on!!