Frizzle Hen Slowly and Mysteriously Losing Feathers, NOT MOLTING

[khatar]

My EE frizzle hen Twilight is the prettiest hen in my flock. But a while ago she began losing feathers in odd places. It started out on the head and back, this led me to believe it was Twinkle the rooster, Twilight's brother. I was going to get her a hen apron before I actually saw Twinkle mount her. He did not do any damage to the feathers, and his foot placement was not anywhere near the missing feathers on her back, which gave me some doubts. Soon I realized her beard feathers were gone, and later her entire neck became bare. Even feathers around her cloaca have been falling off recently. I know one thing for sure, SHE'S NOT MOLTING. I know this because, despite all this, she's still laying healthy eggs. AND, her brother Twinkle would be molting too because they are the exact same age. I have never heard or seen anything like this, ANY IDEAS?



There was a beautiful beard on that face.

 

[tinydancer87]

My frizzle cochins do the same thing. In the winter they are beautiful and fluffy. Starting about now they look thin around the butt and chest, also the back from the roos. Eventually they will be almost bald with bright red skin.

I think when they molt for the summer they just.....stay naked? Lol.

They are currently wearing saddles and probably will until the fall to help with sunburn. They do look awful, people who come over always want to know what's wrong with them, lol. They look like they have a horrible disease!

They don't seem to care, though.

ETA: Yes mine's skin looks just like that, no quills, no new growth, just bare skin. A little redder from the sun, but yes.

 

[khatar]

Interesting...

So, are you saying they will grow back?

 

[ChickDaze]

Mine are doing that, too. Only, four of them are doing it. Two in the shoulder areas and back. Two on the back, and it looks really bad. I blamed it on Jamie, but would he really get two by four square inches on the tail back area? It has stubs growing, but they don't mature.

 

[Sarahndipity723]

Hey,wait a minute-thats much like what my 2 lil Buff hens look like,I am blaming it on the rooster,simply because I did thoroughly inspect the hens everywhere,found nothing...also one of my lil hens clearly has a pecked comb,which I saw the Roo do once...
Yikes! Its been almost a month now for mine and I m going to try separating the Roo immediately...

 

[dollytee]

Same exact thing here...seems to be balding for the summer. About 6 months old, she just laid her very first healthy eggs and her neck looks like chicken from the supermarket. Top of her wings too. We don't have any roos here, just adolescent chicks. Sounds like a frizzle thing. Frizzle is technically a defect, a darn cute defect at that.

 

[stilldeb]

My frizzles do the same thing. My poor little roo looked gorgeous all winter and now he is back to looking like Frankenfrizzle again. I give them game bird feed mixed with their regular feed, they seem to need a little extra to get those frizzle feathers back.

 

[seabright]

It may be another chicken plucking it.I know my chicken Crow loves to pluck all my chickens even the roo.

 

[khatar]

That would be an interesting sight...

The rooster doesn't chase them away?

 

[khatar]

Same exact thing here...seems to be balding for the summer. About 6 months old, she just laid her very first healthy eggs and her neck looks like chicken from the supermarket. Top of her wings too. We don't have any roos here, just adolescent chicks. Sounds like a frizzle thing. Frizzle is technically a defect, a darn cute defect at that.

Yeah, being a frizzle pretty much a disadvantage to a chicken aside from the looks. Honestly though, I don't think my chickens (except my rooster) care about how they look.