Is this feather picked belly or molting? Pics! Still need answers pls

[newchickmom]

Looks like a broody to me.

 

[CA Bean]

Quote:
Omg! If it is mites oh man oh man!..I hate mites! I really didn't see any on her nor some random other ones..I have dusted almost religiously over the last couple months (except last month due to rains) with DE and in their coop. I do notice some others (EE's) starting to molt I think- cuz under their chin seems like very thin thin loss of feathers. I am just still hoping it is some wierd way of molting..? I will dust with DE this weekend..before I break out poison on all my flock.

 

[LynneP]

Zipfi, a nine-month hen, did that to herself in February.
Is your hen 'going light'?
If so, is probably going broody.Zipfi recently started again-



Zipfi has been my first broody and gave me a scare in February of 2008, just after Valentine's. I had been noticing loose feathers around the coop and in the end nest box near the outer door to the run. Then on the 15th when she bent over with the others to accept treats in the blue bowl, I noticed a bare patch between her legs. It was a perfect circle! I remembered that Zipfi has been hogging that nest box recently. In fact when I lifted her gently she seemed a bit light. Bingo. She's going broody. Now, Zipfi is one of those hens who watches me closely. She will accept a gentle stroke while squatting, but she can be obsessive about eggs and has often bawked her resentment as I collect them. I assume that single egg that always appears in the end box is hers. too. So she lays one egg, alone in the same place every day but fusses over bigger clutches in any box. Interesting. So I began offering her a strip of shredded cabbage in return for her egg, daily, and collected them earlier than usual. She gradually broke back into normal eating and drinking, and has become more congenial. Took about two weeks, maybe a little more, and her feathers began to grow back. Then this morning, March 10, I noticed a feather in her nest box and that I had only eleven eggs, down one from my usual twelve. Sneaky cow waited until I left the coop and jumped into the box and laid egg. I have to think she wanted me out of there so I wouldn't take it. I waited a while and returned. She doth protest but I have that egg. Without a rooster I can't risk having her go broody and get out of condition. I know she hates me, but, well, she's the only one. So far. She seems quite, um, determined.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Is she broody? Mine did that to herself while she sat on eggs. And her neck as well. She coated her nest in feathers

 

[chickymomom]

I HAVE 3 NH RED AND 4 GL WYONDOTTES 5 SILKIES. 2 NH RED AND 3 WYO LOOK JUST LIKE THIS. I HAVE CHECKED FOR MITES AT NIGHT AND LICE , NOTHING. THE HENS ARE NOT BROODY RIGHT NOW. THE WEATHER HAS BEEN WET, COLD, AND WARM. THEY ARE APPX. 7 MO. OLD AND HAVE NEVER SET FOOT OUTSIDE. WAS GOING TO PUT SOME SAND IN COOP SO THEY COULD GIVE THEMSELVES A BATH AND SEE IF THAT HELPS. THEY HAVE HAD NO FLUFF FEATHERS ON BELLY UP TO VENT FOR APPX. 3 WEEKS. NOW ARE LOOSING SOME FEATHERS ON LEGS. VERY CURIOUS AS TO WHAT THIS IS. I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS TIME FOR THEM TO MOLT YET.

 

[CA Bean]

Quote:
Yeah this is like me. They are about 7-8months old. I am leaning towards molting..cuz she is not broody. I checked for mites /lice and didn't see any. Seems like this is happening alot but nobody really knows what it is?

 

[BranndaidhCladdagh]

I am having this same problem, I have speckled sussex and rhode island reds...they all look like this. It has been wet and cold then warm then cold again here. They have a large coop and a large pen to run in.

I did observe one strange thing this weekend. I watched as one of my rhode islands mount several of the other hens just like a rooster would...I assume this is a dominance thing? One of my hens has some wounds on her side that I am assuming now is caused by this dominant hen. I put some blu kote on and I am going to make some of those saddles that I have heard about.

I'll be following this thread to see if anyone has any other ideas or a definite diagnosis!

 

[SandraChick]

I find it interesting that several people have noted that it looks like a broody chicken and that this option seems to be completely ignored.

I'm in the broody camp.
Remember that they start to do this before they sit on eggs as they prepare. If you take away the eggs everyday- there's nothing for them to sit on - and so they're ready to brood but don't have anything to sit on- some chickens seem to need a minimum number of eggs before they begin to sit on them. Additionally, many of you have stated they are young chickens---They could be getting the broody feeling (therefore preparing the brood patch), but just don't quite get it yet.

Being that the bare skin is localized and in the brood patch area, I would conclude that it's not mites and not feather picking (in a negative sense).

Relax.

Sandra

 

[EpicBlueAcres]

I find it interesting that several people have noted that it looks like a broody chicken and that this option seems to be completely ignored.

I'm in the broody camp.
Remember that they start to do this before they sit on eggs as they prepare. If you take away the eggs everyday- there's nothing for them to sit on - and so they're ready to brood but don't have anything to sit on- some chickens seem to need a minimum number of eggs before they begin to sit on them. Additionally, many of you have stated they are young chickens---They could be getting the broody feeling (therefore preparing the brood patch), but just don't quite get it yet.

Being that the bare skin is localized and in the brood patch area, I would conclude that it's not mites and not feather picking (in a negative sense).

Relax.

Sandra

Thankyou for the info i have a 1 year old leghorn looking the same (bare belly) she has always been thin in the belly area. I have checked for mites and they dust bath daily in the topsoil pile when out free ranging and the area is normal skin color no red no blood spots no brusing and no feathers are found in the coop. If she is what you are explaining would she still be laying eggs (she lays about 6 a week still) ?

 

[EpicBlueAcres]

Sorry my post doubled for some reason