How to regrow feathers

[Quail_]

Hello evryone! With the colder seasons approaching, I want to make sure my chickens are warm. Throughout the day, whilst I have a heater for them during winter and probably on the colder nights in fall.

I have noticed that three of mu chickens feathers aren't regrowing. I know the girls are all shit heads to eachother and pluck them out and I've sprayed them down with no pecking spray but their feathers aren't growing on one specifically. She wears a mating sattle to protect her back from my roo and I've had another wear one as well but she grew hee feathers back.

She's a buff orpington, about a year old now I believe.

I know I can separate her but I'm trying to avoid that due to spacing issues inside their run. But if worst comes to worst I will separate. But her back isn't being pecked at. I know this because her back skin isn't red

 

[WaterfowlsPoultry]

Chickens will sometimes huddle together when its too cold which will make them warm again.

It takes a lot of time for a chicken to regrow feathers, took my hen a few months and a molt to get her feathers back that she lost due to a hawk grabbing her and attempting to make a meal out of her.

My rooster Rocky is still regrowing his feathers from the same hawk attack.

If you still think your chickens wont regrow their feathers anytime soon I would recommend keeping the heater on.

 

[nuthatched]

They'll come back when they molt. Why are they picking? How big is their space? Diet? Lice or mites?

 

[ChicNmom]

I've noticed some breeds will regrow feathers all year and others only when they molt.

When they molt I give them a higher protein feed so they have the nutrition to make new feathers.

 

[Loving my girls]

You seem unsure as to whether the missing feathers are due to moult or pecking (or both ?)

I would try to analyse both issues and see which is most likely.

Pecking,
Space, the most frequent cause of pecking in a coop. Is there enough ? I work on one foot of perch per hen. They like room to wiggle.
Moulting,
I have found that they moult in their own time, I have had hens spend ages replenishing their duvets and others drop and grow really quickly. Also how old are your girls ? Remember they don’t moult in their first season.

Perhaps some type of additional protein would help with the feather loss either way but you really need to identify the cause.

Hope this helps
Hugz

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hello evryone! With the colder seasons approaching, I want to make sure my chickens are warm. Throughout the day, whilst I have a heater for them during winter and probably on the colder nights in fall.

Where are you located? I'm wondering what you consider cold. I've seen too many posts on here where people in Florida worry about their chickens getting cold in winter. What are you actually dealing with in temperatures in winter?

I have noticed that three of mu chickens feathers aren't regrowing.

If there is any part of the feather shaft left the feather will not grow back until they molt. If the entire feather comes out when they are picking feathers then that feather will regrow fairly soon. But if any part is left it will not grow back until the molt. If a feather breaks off due to rooster damage it will not grow back until the molt unless it is totally removed. It doesn't matter what you feed them, that feather will not grow back until all of the feather is gone.

Some chickens have "brittle feathers". It is caused by a nutritional deficiency that causes their feathers to break easily. It is often a medical condition. Even if they eat the right nutrients their body does not process it correctly. Even if the rooster does everything correctly the hen can still become barebacked.

I don't know if you are north or south of the equator. There is a good chance the feathers will grow back before cold weather hits if you can stop them from losing more feathers. Even missing some feathers chickens can handle relatively cool temperatures. To me your issue is figuring out why they are losing those feathers and how to handle that.