loss of feathers

[new to it]

i have had two black rock chickens now for 18 months and i have not had any issues with them until now- one of them is losing all her feathers in big clumps. she now looks very thin and srawny even though she seems to be eating and drinking please help i thought it would be too late in the year for moulting as we are now having pretty cold weather here about zero.

 

[CUDA]

Well, it is possible they could be moulting, it can happen late. You can also have your birds feather pecking each other. As far as being thin, how are the droppings? You may have worms also...

 

[Pumpkinpup]

Sounds like they are moulting to me. I would not be too concearned yet.

 

[ibpboo]

Its not too late for a molt. I have two chickens that are just starting their molt, and the other two had molted well over a month ago. So each and every chicken is different!! I was just saying last week I hadn't noticed some of the chickens molt and thought, how could I of missed that?!! And now they are. They look very scroungy when molting, my dh used to think they were going to die!!

 

[new to it]

thanks for your input i will try not to worry too much at the moment thought would have to start knitting a jumper!!!

 

[ibpboo]

Can you post pics of your chickens?
Takes a few weeks for them to go through their molt.
Here is a pic of my EE, she got much more worse looking than this before her feathers came back.

 

[new to it]

thank you for your picture-i have to say my chicken does not look that bad yet! so it is very reassuring to know how much feather loss there can be. is there anything i can give her to help, it is getting mighty cold here in 'bonnie scotland' especially at night time.
many thanks once again. i have not taken any pictures of her since this has happened.

 

[jeannieo]

I hope this is is the right place. I am a "newbie" keeping chickens. It started last summer when a friend gave me a Cochin rooster and a Silkie rooster (I knew a friend was passing on her flock of hens to me very soon, 2 RIR, 5 Araucanas, and 1 Buff Orpington). One of the Araucanas seems to be the scapegoat where the other hens peck at her, chase her, and mount her (I didn't know the hens did that to each other!) When I got her she looked bad, featherwise and still does but here is my concern: her butt was totally naked when she came to me (it really looks kind of gross but I do feel bad for her) and it is still naked. Could she get a frostbitten butt? It looks pretty red, I'm in Connecticut and it is about 20 degrees today and windy.

I also have since acquired a Cochin hen (I named her Katherine Hepburn because she is such a lady and the Cochin rooster is... what else? Spencer Tracy!), a white Silkie rooster, and a splash Silkie mixed with something else, she is just as pretty as can be. I have been worried sick about the cold for all of them but after reading all the posts from folks with similar concerns I am trying to "let it go." My coop is 8 X 12 with 3 big double pane windows that my brother got for free! (we love free!), I have one of those clip on light fixtures with a 250 watt heat bulb. I have the galvanized waterer with the galvanized heater under it. I have lots of wood shavings, using the deep litter method. I love my chickens and just hope I am doing the best for them that I can.

 

[CUDA]

If you have a "hen" topping another hen, it is a rooster, not a hen. If you are missing feathers from their backside, it is from being topped too much. Trim down to one rooster and it will solve this problem. As far as being in the cold, they will be fine. As long as you have a coop, you don't need a heat source. You can read more about caring for fowl in the winter months HERE . Good luck!

 

[jeannieo]

the rooster/hen in question does not crow and my white silkie is too young to know what to do and Spencer Tracy and Sidney Portier (my other 2 roos only seem to be interested in Katherine Hepburn. The rooster/hen in question came in with 7 other hens and I read or heard that if there are only hens, then one of them will take on the characteristics of a rooster. Am I crazy or just stoopid?