Featherless Backs What's Wrong?

[clifonti]

I have ten hens and most don't have feathers on their backs. I had a rooster that rode many of them and created this problem. However, since I found the roo a new home, I seem to have additional birds with feathers going missing. I found a hen doing what the rooster did but even her back is loosing feathers. What is going on? Tried the saddle thing when I still had the rooster but it was too traumatizing and so I gave it up. Any ideas?

 

[Nif]

This time of year a lot of chickens start molting. Can you see any new feathers coming in? Are they losing feathers anywhere else...under wings, bottoms, around neck and breast (it won't look bare, but they look kind of ruffed up)
About 2 days after my one hen dropped tons of feathers I noticed all her new feathers coming in.

 

[clifonti]

Sorry to say no new feathers coming in. This has been going on for a while. I thought they might come back but havn't. So in experation, I thought I would post my concern.

 

[MissPrissy]

Sometimes with the combination of the feather missing from the rooster, molting and the common plucking by other hens it can take months for the feathers to regrow.

You can be proactive and give them extra protein to help with the production of feathers. Meat scraps, a small can of cat food once or twice a week or a hand full of kitty kibble tossed out for them to peck and scratch around with (helps keep them busy, too). Also you might consider putting a saddle on them also so that any new grow doesn't stimulate the other hens to pick and keep the problem going.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Could be molting. I have a heavy molt going on here with quite a few of the hens and my old rooster even. Looks like someone had a good pillow fight in the runs and some near naked chickens. Just provide lots of extra protein to them to help with new feather growth before winter sets in. Scrambled or boiled eggs, calf manna pellets, sunflower seeds helps sometimes and moist or canned cat food can help a couple times a week.

 

[clifonti]

Okay. I'm going to give the extra protien a try. I just feel like the birds must be picking on each other although I never see this happen. Thanks for your input everyone.