Help please!!

momof12

Chirping
Jun 1, 2020
48
31
61
some of my laying hens (rhode island red, 18 months old) have been losing their feathers by where the tail meets the back. I first thought they were molting but they have not lost anymore feathers and I read that is not the first place they lose their feathers. I have looked for mites and lice and can't see any, Can you all please look at there pics and tell what you think is going on ? the skins seems very red and inflamed
 

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It looks like some feather picking is going on. Is there any overcrowding, boredome from not getting outside, or a lack of protein in the feed?
we moved them to a portable tractor as we need their coop for meat birds, the tractor is larger then their coop but not larger then their run and coop. we had thought that the exposure to grass would make up for the smaller area.
 
Please send pictures of your coop and run. How many pullets do you have and the coop and run size.
Do they free range and what do you feed them. Plus how many pullets have this issue?
Thank you.
we have them currently in a 110 sq ft portable tractor. there is 22 hens. there is roosts in the tractor and a open floor to access the grass it is moved every 2 days. we had them in a 90 sq ft coop with 200 sq ft of run prior to this we moved them approx 8 weeks ago to house our meat birds. we let them free range in our yard a couple of days aweek due to the neighbors dog. i thought that the difference in space would be ok due to the fresh grass available. the hens are 18 months old, we feed them a mixed grain feed from a farmer friend of ours with a protein and vit. supplament added to it. there is grit and oyster shells and also home kitchen scraps
 

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