How long do feathers take to regrow?

[K0k0shka]

My favorite hen, an English Orpington, will be 6 years old next month. She's too fluffy for her own good and needs periodic butt trims and baths, or else her pants collect poop. She's usually the first to molt in the fall, and it's not even in the fall - she starts in July and is fully done by the time the others start. At some point last fall, I fell behind on her butt upkeep and it got pretty crusty, so I gave her a harder cut than usual, leaving only about 2 inches on her butt. Those were the new feathers post molt. She ended up gradually shedding all of them after the trim (but no molting on other parts of her body at that time), and was left with a naked butt for the winter, for the first time ever. I thought she'd grow new feathers eventually, but it's been several months and she still hasn't. I kept an eye on her and she doesn't seem to have suffered frostbite or any other damage due to the naked butt (even though we had a pretty solid winter).

Do feathers only grow back after a molt? Shouldn't they grow back if they were lost for other reasons and at other times of the year? She's otherwise in good health and spirits, with lusciously fluffy shiny plumage on the rest of her body. I have a peaceful flock and haven't noticed any feather picking or butt picking at all.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

From my experiences feather mostly grow back during the fall molt. Some do go through a mini molt in the spring which is normally around the head and neck only. So perhaps she will grow them in, but I wouldn't expect it. As long as she's not getting pecked she will be okay with a bare bottom for the summer.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If the entire feather comes out it will probably start regrowing in a few weeks. But if even a tiny bit of the shaft is left that feather will not grow back until the following molt.

 

[SamLockwood]

Mostly it's after they have their fall molt. Although I've had a couple of hens that had a sort of mini-molt after they stopped being broody.

 

[K0k0shka]

From my experiences feather mostly grow back during the fall molt. Some do go through a mini molt in the spring which is normally around the head and neck only. So perhaps she will grow them in, but I wouldn't expect it. As long as she's not getting pecked she will be okay with a bare bottom for the summer.

Aww that's disappointing... I thought nature would've ensured feather replacement after damage or injury, not just once/twice a year with the molt, but I guess not. I hope she doesn't get sunburn in the summer

 

[K0k0shka]

If the entire feather comes out it will probably start regrowing in a few weeks. But if even a tiny bit of the shaft is left that feather will not grow back until the following molt.

Interesting. She does have some bits of feather remaining here and there, and totally bare skin elsewhere. I guess I'll wait and see. I definitely don't want to pluck her poor butt to force a regrowth.