I'm not sure what is going on... Help!

MontanaMomma

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I have five Leghorn hens. Earlier this spring I think four of them molted. There were feathers everywhere and they looked rather scruffy. However, their egg laying did not slow. Since then, the four have all had no feathers on their necks! Is this normal?? MOre importantly, today I noticed one of them doesn't have any feathers on her butt, and it looks funny. These are two different issues and I'm more worried about the hen with no feathers on her butt.
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I don't have a rooster. My hens get along pretty well, except for an occasional peck over food.
 
Yeah, roosters are horrible on the hen's feathers. Could well be the cause behind your hens' scruffiness. On to the behind issue..... look very very closely at the skin on her rump - part feathers and look for any lice or mites scattering to find cover, that could be the issue there.
 
O.K. New theory - could it be the hens pulling out each other's feathers? Sort of looks like that to me. Or, it still could be something to do with lice, mites, louse, etc..... Take a good look for creepy crawlies.
 
I considered the hens picking on each other too, but they get along fine and I've never seen any feather pulling. I suppose they could be doing it at night or something... How long does it usually take for molted feathers to grow back?? However, I think the hen with the bald hiney might be pulling her own out. Any ideas why she might be doing that (other than bugs)?? I will check for bugs. I've noticed local birds hanging out around their enclosure looking for scraps.
 

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