Injured hens please help ASAP!

[hatcherkid777]

hi guys i have an emergency three of my hens have lost lots of their neck feathers and i dont know what to do. I have a henpecked rooster in my flock and i think he is too passive to do any damage I have three ducks that can be kind of rough i am worried because my chickens coop has recently been downsized and the weather is a lot colder it could have something to do with that. i need to know what is happening and remove the problem fast!!!!

 

[maxpedley]

Don't worry. They are moulting. They will suddenly start losing feathers but this is perfectly normal. The neck is where it starts. The moult can be stressfull and can take up to 3 months

 

[hatcherkid777]

are you sure cause they were bleeding a bit

 

[maxpedley]

That dosen't sound right, though it is possible. Are your hens showing any stress?

 

[Wyandottes7]

If you just downsized the coop, or they're spending more time in there because of cold weather, they may be picking on each other. Crowded birds are more likely to pick than ones that can go outsidie or have enough room. I'd spend some time watching your chickens/ducks, and see if any bird in particular is pecking at the others. If you see one, isolate it for a few weeks, then introduce back into the coop. This should at least temporarily eliminate the problem, as when the bird goes back into the coop, it will be the newcomer, and therefore lower in the pecking order.