Hens almost oven ready

[sarjaysar]

Well a bit of an exaggeration, but a couple of my flock are starting to look pretty featherless in places. They are nearly a year old and still laying, eating well and very active. They have a whole range of supplements such as cod liver oil / poultry spice in porridge 3 x a week / apple cider vinegar in their water. They are on layers pellets, they have calcium supplements and corn as a treat. Not forgetting the cabbage, broccoli etc etc. They free range for half of the week but are in a large outdoor pen.

Their skin isn't red, they are just oven ready.. Around their sides and under their bum. I've sprayed mite spray over the last few weeks to see if that helps but it hasn't. I've also sprayed Genetian violet.

I'm really at a bit of a loss..

Has anyone else had this problem and not found a solution? The two hens in question are black rocks.

 

[easttxchick]

Sounds like they are moulting to me.

The only other things I can think of are an over enthusiastic rooster(if you have a rooster) or feather picking(often times you see bare spots with some blood).

Sorry I can't help more!

 

[gaeamama]

Have they molted yet? They could be molting possibly (?)

 

[purpletree23]

Can you post a picture?

Do they kinda look like porqupines? Do they have feathers coming in to replace the lost ones. If yes then they are molting. Give extra protein like left over chopped beef or chicken or scrambled eggs.

If they don't have feathers coming in then you have a picking problem or mites and lice. Pictures would help a great deal.

 

[sarjaysar]

I don't have a Roo

In some places they do have the porcupine effect but only very small feather stumps.

One of my hens has some red skin. Thing is, all my other hens are fine.

I will take some photos tomorrow, they are all in bed asleep now (i'm in the UK)

Thanks for your comments though..

 

[purpletree23]

I think she is just molting. My chickens never molt at the same time. You can apply a little vaseline to the reddish areas. GENTLY! Molting is very uncomfortable and the hens get grumpy. I have one hen that I stay clear of when she molts. She acts like a mad chicken and chases me, bites my ear when I beds down and growls!!! After her molt she is a lap chicken again.

 

[Jay13]

I thought I had the ugliest chicken in the world the other day when I came out and one of the girls was nearly naked! I figured it was molting since she has feathers growing back in. And I don't blame them for being irritable! With the cold weather we have been having with the ice and snow, it must be VERY uncomfortable to be walking around naked. My other girls (I have 20 altogether) don't show any signs of starting to molt yet except the older girls coloring went from black to brown so I suspect it will start soon.

Oh, and the oven ready thing... I thought the same thing at first too "pre-plucked" hens...lol

 

[sarjaysar]

Ummm - well there is now a huge patch under her bum a big area where the feathers have literally disappeared overnight.. She is a little red but the skin is bumpy.. I've covered her in genetian violet - I was wondering if she was being pecked but she is literally top of the pecking order so I find it hard to believe she is being chased and pecked.. I need to stick a camera on them for a few hours..

I didn't get to take a photo today.

 

[chicks4kids]

It sounds like a molt.

 

[sarjaysar]

I'm still using Genetian violet spray, i've sprayed them for lice etc several times and dusted them. But one of the hens skin on her crop is red and sore and on her side by her bum. She roosts at night - not really sure what to do next!