HELP, please advise...is she just moulting???

[lowry075]

 

[lowry075]

I couldn't get room to type after the pics, but you pick her up and she drops tons of feathers. She is flat bald on her stomach, this has gotten so bad in the space of one day.

 

[7L Farm]

You didn't mention her age but chickens molt all the time. Is anybody picking on her?

 

[lowry075]

She's a year and a half old. Nobody is picking on her, there's no bloody spots or sores.

 

[j5house]

Looks like molting, in your first picture there is a new feather coming in on her bald spot. You can see the shaft of the feathes an a new feather getting ready to grow out of the shaft. We have a leghorn that last week I noticed was losing feathers when I handled her and arounf the coup. A few days later she has new shafts with new feathers coming in. We live in Maryland and it is a odd time to molt in winter one would think but I found others on here with the same situation. Just keep and eye on her but that is was it looks like to me.

 

[lowry075]

That's what I was hoping. I am going to keep her indoors at night. I checked for mites and don't see any.

 

[lowry075]

One more question, it has been low sixties daytime and fifties nightime with some rain. Too cold for her during the daytime? She's been sleeping indoros at night. She is more bald now than she was when I posted the photo.

Edited to add: the coop is covered but has a big doorway which is open during the day. It is fenced in, but a draft could blow in.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Looks like she is molting and you certainly don't have to keep her indoors with such moderate temperatures. Mine just acted like nothing was at all different when they were half bald, and it was much colder here. I guessing that you have a coop she could go into if she wants.

 

[Chick named Lola]

I've got a pretty bald hen as well, looks like that but all the way under her belly up to her tail. It's a baaaad molt and I've had her inside but she seems to be improving so tomorrow, out she goes for the day. It's supposed to get up to 50 degrees...I can't let her get to used to the warm indoors. I asked my avian vet if it's too cold and he said no. Chickens are livestock and made to be outdoors...yes it's late to be molting like that but that she would be just fine. So, I'm going to make the move and see how she does. It's in the low 30's at night so for the first week, I think I will take her back in at night so she can adjust.

Don't know if that's right or wrong but I do trust my vet so I'm going to do it. She can't stay in forever, I'm going on my second week with her inside.