Feather Loss - Molting?

[akf93]

One of my 7 month old girls is losing feathers at the back of her head/neck. She’s the only one I’ve noticed so far. Seems normal otherwise though she isn’t laying well. (None of my girls are and they’re all first year. ) Is there any reason other than molting that she’d be losing feathers?

Also, it’s winter. Highs in the 30s. Lows in the 20s. Plenty of colder air ahead of us. Should I do anything special to help her? And we DO have a little Silkie rooster who is *just* starting to mate his own younger flock. I haven’t seen him go after the older girls yet. I doubt that is the cause.

 

[sourland]

Very likely molting especially if she is growing pin feathers. Feather pecking/plucking is also a possibility.

 

[akf93]

Molting? I added a couple before shots. She’s my prettiest girl! She looks so silly right now, poor thing!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes that looks like a molt, and a typical molt location as well.

 

[Callender Girl]

I'd also vote for molting. I have a Blue-Laced Red Wyandotte who is nearly bald right now, and a Buff Cochin who is nearly naked. Both girls missed the "proper" time to molt with the rest of the flocks and are causing me needless worry as the temps plunge.

I am boosting their protein intake with mealworms and hoping they are not too uncomfortable.

When my Cochin Bantam rooster decided to endlessly romance his Cochin Bantam sweetheart, she ended up with No Feathers at all on her head. Thankfully, he's calmed down and she's feathered up.

 

[SchusterChickens]

I am a new chicken owner. I have a 9 month old Barred Rock that started to look scruffy. I noticed her tail feathers were shorter (or gone) and then saw a bare section on her bottom. None of her sisters show the same symptoms. I read many places that chickens under a year don't molt. Hopefully that is not true and this is a molt. She is acting normally and eating. No one seems to be bullying her. When we examined her, her skin looked healthy. There were all these short spiky things like her feathers had been broken or cut off. I assume they could be new feathers coming in?

 

[akf93]

I am a new chicken owner. I have a 9 month old Barred Rock that started to look scruffy. I noticed her tail feathers were shorter (or gone) and then saw a bare section on her bottom. None of her sisters show the same symptoms. I read many places that chickens under a year don't molt. Hopefully that is not true and this is a molt. She is acting normally and eating. No one seems to be bullying her. When we examined her, her skin looked healthy. There were all these short spiky things like her feathers had been broken or cut off. I assume they could be new feathers coming in?

I’ve read the same which is why I was wondering. Two more of my girls the same age are starting to do the same but have those pin feathers so I guess they are good? They’re all three acting normal except for not laying. One has been spending a lot of the day in the coop so I’ve been letting them free range a bit more to encourage her to get out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I noticed her tail feathers were shorter (or gone) and then saw a bare section on her bottom. There were all these short spiky things like her feathers had been broken or cut off. I assume they could be new feathers coming in?

Post a photo. That could be molting, or it could be feather picking, due to the location and the description.

 

[SchusterChickens]

I'll try to get a picture. It is raining today.

 

[hotpotato3]

Molting? I added a couple before shots. She’s my prettiest girl! She looks so silly right now, poor thing!

Shes so pretty what breed is she?