Loss of feathers

[linlinscooby78]

I have a couple of chickens starting to lose feathers at the base of their tails on their back by their oil gland. One has lost an area of about 3" x 1", and the other 2 are just starting to lose. They are around 11 months old. I feed them the same organic food and they freerange in my yard. They get daily treats from scratch to fresh produce. I'm not sure if this is molting or if they are having something. Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks!!

 

[Sjisty]

First - welcome to BYC!

Do you have a rooster? That sounds like the spot where a rooster mounts and hangs on to his girls. Many of my roo's favorites have bald patches on their backs. If you look in the everything else for sale section, you can find aprons for your girls.

 

[dawg53]

Also inspect them for lice/mites and watch for picking as well.

 

[linlinscooby78]

I do not have a rooster, sorry, should have put that in there. I will check for bugs, thanks.

 

[calicokat]

We had a hen that molted and looked good for a bit. But then started looking like you describe. She had mites. So I'd follow Dawg's suggestion and check them over closely for mites. Check online and you'll find some pictures to help.