Losing neck feathers to stay cool?

[sawilliams]

Does anyone in hot climates have chickens that lose particularly just thier neck feathers when it starts getting hot? Its happened to use for years now with one having large bald spots down her neck. Most of the ones that do it now though its just around the waddles. Particularly the EE losing thier beards and muffs. I do have a few others showing thinning chins. The one pictured is an EE

 

[BirdGirl2004]

Hmmmmm. Do you have a rooster? It could be tearing out her feathers??

 

[HuskerHens18]

I've actually had this too and never thought much of it. I'm curious now, watching your thread it happens in both my roosters and hens, AND bantams.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I got a few with balding necks and heads this year too. It's been hotter than normal so I was curious if that was the reason too. I will be happy when they all molt, and this heat goes away.

 

[BirdGirl2004]

I've actually had this too and never thought much of it. I'm curious now, watching your thread it happens in both my roosters and hens, AND bantams.

hmmm thats weird. Never seen that before... ( or maybe haven't even noticed it )

 

[sawilliams]

This happened before we had a rooster. It gets over 100 every summer. I'm use to it I know to expect it, it is a little worse this year but it's hotter sooner too

 

[sawilliams]

This is last year the red on the second roost. You can see one of here bald spots. At first becuase we got her as a stray we thought it was an injury. They came back after molt just fine then fell out again every summer since. Extra protein helps to regrow the lost feathers but most of the girls don't recover till fall molt, only to lose them again when the heat hits. I've start noticing the same genes will always lose feathers in the same place each year. So like the EE, its usually just her beard and muffs until molt

 

[aart]

I think they eat those delicate neck feathers off each other...especially the EE beards and muffs...have seen them do it.

 

[sawilliams]

I think they eat those delicate neck feathers off each other...especially the EE beards and muffs...have seen them do it.

Perhaps, but I know it wasn't feather plucking with the red, she was the alpha full we got the rooster ants the only one that had summer feather lose till we got the EE. Some of my cinnamon queens have it this year too, its thier first true summer as we got them late July or early August last year. The EE are just the most noticeable.

 

[Mrs. K]

Never saw this before, today I can tell my roosters neck looks thinner.