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HELP!! Feather picking or molting or...?

Discussion in 'Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures' started by Thousand Oaks Family, Aug 5, 2010.

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  1. Aug 5, 2010 #1
    Thousand Oaks Family

    Thousand Oaks Family Out Of The Brooder

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    Jul 12, 2010
    Thousand Oaks, CA
    I recently purchased 3 chickens over a month ago. One I was told was in molt. The worst part of her being around her vent. She had another spot on her front and another on the back of her kneck. The front areas are starting to fill in but the vent area is terrible and doesn't look like any feathers coming in. Now I am starting to notice one of the other hens looking a little out of sorts and just today I saw a bare spot below her vent. Is this feather picking? What can I do about it? By the way my girls freaked out when I took the camara into the run. They hid in the coop! Very strange.

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  3. Aug 6, 2010 #2
    Ridgerunner

    Ridgerunner True BYC Addict

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    Feb 2, 2009
    Northwest Arkansas
    Mine seen to panic when I have something in my hand that they are not used to, even something as small as a camera. Normal behavior for them.

    I tend to think it is feather picking but am not sure. It does not sound like a molt to me. Molting just does not normally progress that way and these areas are the ones that feather picking tends to affect. These links may help you determine what is going on. Good luck!

    Mississippi State describes molting
    http://msucares.com/poultry/management/poultry_feathers.html

    Kansas State feather loss
    http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/mf2308.pdf
     

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