Feather Problems?

[Layla1223]

One of my Cuckoo Marans suddenly lost a lot of chest feathers over about two days and I'm not sure why. My other chickens are also missing feathers but not as much and not as fast. The feathers are mostly missing around their butts and at the base of their tails. I am pretty sure I have a plucker, but what else could cause it? When I clean every week I use DE, we let them out a couple times a week to free range, they also get table scraps. Also, what helps them to re-grow their feathers? Some have had the same bald spots for a couple of months now.

 

[chaseB2]

how old are they, they may just be molting and some loose feathers faster than others, i buy a show supplement feed or some other high protien feed and give that to them to help them move through it

 

[Layla1223]

Quote:
They are all around a year old. What brand of feed do you use?

 

[chaseB2]

the show supplement is made by mana pro it is called a conditioner, i have also added chick starter or finisher feed to there regular diet ....... also heard of throwing out cheap cat food fr them to pick at but only a hand full or to , and molting sounds correct for a year old

 

[FarmerKid]

We have seen molting birds before, depending on their age, that might just be it. Just for future reference, if you notice the tail feathers on top of below a hen's butt are not there, it may be because the rooster is mating with her very often. Don't quote me on it though. I just know one of our friends had a rooster that would mate with his favorite hens and because of that they are missing feathers in that area.

 

[Layla1223]

I'v had my chickens for about a year now, but I still feel new to chickens.

Since they are just now a year old I havn't experienced a molt. I think the Maran might be molting because in the bald spots there are a lot of pin feathers. I don't have a rooster so I think it might be plucking thats happening with the others.