feather loss

[betsys]

i have a small flock only 8 hens, two of the hens have lost the feathers on their necks and they dont seem to be growing back, i do not have a rooster so they arent pecked and i have not seen the other hens picking on them either..they are both 2 years old were in full feather before this and the rest of the hens are in full feather, i have powdered them for lice and they have been dewormed... they both seem very healthy other than this and they are both laying... any thoughts or suggestions? thanks

 

[dretd]

Hi betsys and

There may be a few explanations thta are 'normal'. You may want to observe behavior in your flock and see if these girls are at the bottom of the pecking order. I have one chicken who is constantly getting harrassed by one of the others. Frequently Millie will run over to poor Soleil and grab a beak full of feathers--usually from the nape of the neck.

THe other idea is that these two may be molting. I have a Brahma that is currently molting. She molts as a different time and in a different way than the other breeds I have. Are these two hens of the same breed and different from the others?

Seems unlikely due to parasites becasue its only 2 and only in a selected spot on the two. Maybe pictures or more details on breed and how long you've had them, any nchanges to the flock dynamics would be helpful.

 

[betsys]

hi, thanks for the reply, the first hen that lost her neck feathers is a a black Australop and is 3 years old the second one that lost her neck feathers is an ameraucana, 2 years old, neither one of them are really at the bottom of the pecking order, and the americauna spends most of her day outside of the chicken yard i thought about molting but this happened back in early spring and still no neck feathers, and they arent loosing feathers anyplace else on their body, otherwise seem very healthy and as i said before they are both laying