Flock loosing feathers

[CoreyW04]

Hi guys,
I have a flock that has been loosing their feathers and they haven’t grown back for some time now. The coop is cleaned out every week and they always have fresh food and water. They live in an 10ftx8ft coop and the run is 30ftx50ft. There are 7 hens and one rooster that live in this enclosure. I’m not sure what’s going on but if someone could give me some advice that would be awesome!
Thank you!

 

[TexasGirl97]

They could be molting! How old are they?

 

[CoreyW04]

They could be molting! How old are they?

They are about a year old. It all started about 3 months ago, I had 3 hens that had lost feathers on their backs above the tail and I thought they were starting to molt then but the whole flock is loosing feathers and it is quite sad. All my hens seem healthy though despite the appearance. They are laying everyday

 

[TexasGirl97]

They are about a year old. It all started about 3 months ago, I had 3 hens that had lost feathers on their backs above the tail and I thought they were starting to molt then but the whole flock is loosing feathers and it is quite sad. All my hens seem healthy though despite the appearance. They are laying everyday

I would also check them for lice/mites but if you don't see anything wrong with them and they are acting normal then they are probably molting... what are you feeding them? I would up their protein intake because feathers have a high percentage of protein.. they need that extra protein in their diet to help them grow strong feathers.

 

[CoreyW04]

I would also check them for lice/mites but if you don't see anything wrong with them and they are acting normal then they are probably molting... what are you feeding them? I would up their protein intake because feathers have a high percentage of protein.. they need that extra protein in their diet to help them grow strong feathers.

It’s called Natures Best organic egg layer pellets. We buy it from TSC. We also give them organic scratch aswell. How long do molts typically last? What can I feed them to up their protein?

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

You can feed some 30% game starter for extra protein, not a huge amount like a small handful per bird per day. I feed flock raiser so they have a good protein all the time.

 

[townchicks]

That doesn't look like normal molting to me. You should be seeing pin feathers coming in by now. Maybe your rooster is damaging the feathers, or you have a feather plucker. Try separating the rooster if possible. Observe your flock for feather plucking. Also, stop the scratch, add more protein.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

That doesn't look like normal molting to me. You should be seeing pin feathers coming in by now. Maybe your rooster is damaging the feathers, or you have a feather plucker. Try separating the rooster if possible. Observe your flock for feather plucking. Also, stop the scratch, add more protein.

I agree it's a little extreme for molting

 

[CoreyW04]

That doesn't look like normal molting to me. You should be seeing pin feathers coming in by now. Maybe your rooster is damaging the feathers, or you have a feather plucker. Try separating the rooster if possible. Observe your flock for feather plucking. Also, stop the scratch, add more protein.

Okay I will try this!

 

[sourland]

Some bird/birds are feather pecking, plucking. In the last picture one bird appears to be in good feather. If that is the case, she is the culprit. Do an on site search on Pin Less Peepers. They can be utilized to allow feather regrowth and sometimes break this habit.