hen loosing feathers

[suburbanfarmer]

Ok, so I have four hens that free-range during the day and are in a roomy coup at night. The boss hen has been loosing her feathers steadily for the past couple of days. Her belly is missing the most ans she has a few other spots here and there along with rump feathers that are basically MIA. I checked her out and there are no bite wounds or anything else suspicious. All of the other hens are just fine. What could this be?

 

[silkiechicken]

Could she be molting? It is that season.

 

[suburbanfarmer]

No, I don't think so. The shafts? of the feathers are still there, almost like she is breaking them off herself. And the places where she is missing feathers, like her belly, are completely bare of feathers. If she is molting, it is a more severe molt than any of my other hens have had before.

 

[silkiechicken]

If she is molting she would have at least some pin feathers. Does she get more lovin than the others by some chance? Or mites that are particularly heavy on her? Not really sure.

 

[SweetChick]

Hey, what do you know! I have 3 hens and the boss hen is losing her feathers too! Can't figure out why... Why would my chicken have such a bad molt? It's cold outside now and the other two are fine when I let them out but she acts cold because she's missing so many feathers. Maybe it's some sort of skin disease or something??