George, one of two of my Rhode Island Red hens (yes, George is a boy name, yet she is a girl), has been (what we thought was) molting for a few weeks. However, her feathers look eaten away and the exposed skin on her wings is white and dry and overall doesn't look good. She doesn't seem to be eating or drinking any more or less than normal. The feathers on her back are fluffy, but no skin is showing. We have one other chicken, Henrietta, (of a breed I don't know) that has fluffy feathers on her back, and her wings look like they're suffering from the same condition as George, only earlier or not as bad. There is no bleeding or scabs. Poop appears normal. We use pine needles as bedding in the nesting box.
Occasionally, neighborhood birds fly into the old dog run we use as a chicken coop to pick at our chickens leftover scraps, so the condition might've come from the visitors. Though I haven't noticed any of them losing feathers, so it might not be that.
We have six hens and no roosters.
Am I just freaking out over extended molting?
Pictures:
George's condition
George again, back and wings
Fred being normal like a good chicken ought to be
Fred and George- Fred on left, George on right
Henrietta- wing and fluffy back
Henrietta- other side
Five out of our six chickens- (counterclockwise for top left- Little Ginger, Big Ginger, Fred, George, Henrietta)
If you think you need (or want) more pictures of a certain chicken to help diagnose, I can take more.
Occasionally, neighborhood birds fly into the old dog run we use as a chicken coop to pick at our chickens leftover scraps, so the condition might've come from the visitors. Though I haven't noticed any of them losing feathers, so it might not be that.
We have six hens and no roosters.
Am I just freaking out over extended molting?
Pictures:
George's condition
George again, back and wings
Fred being normal like a good chicken ought to be
Fred and George- Fred on left, George on right
Henrietta- wing and fluffy back
Henrietta- other side
Five out of our six chickens- (counterclockwise for top left- Little Ginger, Big Ginger, Fred, George, Henrietta)
If you think you need (or want) more pictures of a certain chicken to help diagnose, I can take more.