Well I came home for the Thanksgiving Holiday and this morning when I went to feed and water the chickens I noticed a pile of feathers in the coop (an array of them... some from every bird)...it looks like someone shot a pillow or something.
Anyways, I don't think much of it since they lose feathers all the time and the coop probably wasn't really swept out totally since the cold weather hit. Well, my care-less attitude changed when I saw my favorite hen. She looks as if she were hit by a truck! Her feathers are falling out... she has bald spots on her back, her chest and under her neck. She looks like she was chewed on... there's just fluffy-down feathers. Now, she's the dominate hen and no one dares to mess with her, so I doubt another chicken did this to her (and yes, we do have a rooster, but this doesn't looks anything like the over-mating feathers scratched out sort of thing). They get enough food, water, and turnout time so I doubt there's any real fighting going on.
Since there's piles of feathers from everyone and everyone looks a bit shabby, my first thought was that they are molting, but after seeing how bad that hen looks and how the feathers are falling out when I pet her, I'm not sure. Would they still molt this heavily in the winter? I never saw a molt look so bad before, but then again I'm not home very much....
(NOTE: She still eats, although not as food motivated as she normally is and she also seem a bit grumpy. Also, we haven't been getting eggs lately....all the chickens are 2 yro)
If anyone can tell me what is going on with her I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance, and Happy Thanksgiving.
(I can try to post pictures if needed...)
Anyways, I don't think much of it since they lose feathers all the time and the coop probably wasn't really swept out totally since the cold weather hit. Well, my care-less attitude changed when I saw my favorite hen. She looks as if she were hit by a truck! Her feathers are falling out... she has bald spots on her back, her chest and under her neck. She looks like she was chewed on... there's just fluffy-down feathers. Now, she's the dominate hen and no one dares to mess with her, so I doubt another chicken did this to her (and yes, we do have a rooster, but this doesn't looks anything like the over-mating feathers scratched out sort of thing). They get enough food, water, and turnout time so I doubt there's any real fighting going on.
Since there's piles of feathers from everyone and everyone looks a bit shabby, my first thought was that they are molting, but after seeing how bad that hen looks and how the feathers are falling out when I pet her, I'm not sure. Would they still molt this heavily in the winter? I never saw a molt look so bad before, but then again I'm not home very much....
(NOTE: She still eats, although not as food motivated as she normally is and she also seem a bit grumpy. Also, we haven't been getting eggs lately....all the chickens are 2 yro)
If anyone can tell me what is going on with her I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance, and Happy Thanksgiving.
(I can try to post pictures if needed...)
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