hi all, I have 4 hens, all are about 11 months old and laying. About 3 weeks ago my Sussex white started loosing feathers around her tail, legs and vent. This week one of the black tails started doing the same thing. The other black tail is pecking at them but she is the most submissive and i don't know if they are loosing feathers because she is pecking them or if they are having there first moult?? The black sussex has already had her first moult but it looked completely different, she practically went bald all over. There are a few new feathers sprouting through on the sussex white but not on the black tail. Could it be that in some hens the first moult is not as "extreme"?? Any help would be appreciated.
It sounds as if the one hen is feather plucking/eating. It is a bad habit that frequently starts from boredom when birds are locked up during the winter. Some feel that it is related to protein deficiency - I'm not so sure about that.
