missing back feahers and has a pimple like sore

[stephilde]

I thought she was just molting because she is missing some feathers around the neck too. But then I noticed this by her tail. Anyone know whats wrong with her?

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Do you have a rooster? They can wear a path at the base of the tail and on the neck as they grab at feathers during mating. If you do not have a rooster, it is possible she has some sort of Northern mites or even depluming feather mites.

That pimple like growth is the birds Preen Gland. It is an oil gland they use to oil and condition their feathers by rubbing their faces and beaks over it and grooming their feathers.

If this is damage from the rooster, you might separate her out from him for a while or even use a hen saddle to cover these areas that are going bald. The proper ratio of rooster to hen is 1 rooster to about 8 to 10 hens. If you have too little hens, the rooster can over mate them to the point of baldness, infected sores and even death.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[stephilde]

I don't have a rooster.

Is it possible another hen is picking on her and causing this. And if so then a saddle is the answer?

I didn't see signs of mites but i will look again.

So the gland that is showing is normal looking?

Thanks so much! These are my first chickens. I've had them for over a year but this is the first time they've had something wrong with them.

 

[TwoCrows]

Pecking from another hen is possible. It appears she is regrowing all those feathers? Hard to tell from the picture. But the feathers all appear to be the same age as if she lost them all at once and now they are regrowing? The preen gland seems to look ok. If it were clogged or infected, it would be really red. So it looks good. The skin doesn't look like it has any mites and or deplumeing mites either. So this very well could be aggression from another bird or even she plucked them out herself. Sometimes the lack of protein can make them pluck their own feathers, but it's not all that common, at least to pull so many out like she has here.

A saddle never hurts to cover over bare spots on a bird. These areas are easy targets for others to pick on them. Especially newly growing feathers....other hens my love to pluck them right out. You can order them from here... http://www.hensaver.com

I had an issue last year with deplumeing mites and had a bird that went bald fast. I had to order a saddle but didn't want to wait to keep her covered, so I fashioned something up quick just to keep her protected....





LOL...yeah...she looked like she was wearing a skirt. Ha! But I put a crop bra on her and used those adjustable bed sheet straps to hold the bandana on over her bare butt and loins. LOL

But I would order or make something to protect her growing feathers. It looks like your hen should grow them all back well enough over time.

Keep us posted!

 

[TwoCrows]

I don't have a rooster.

Is it possible another hen is picking on her and causing this. And if so then a saddle is the answer?

I didn't see signs of mites but i will look again.

So the gland that is showing is normal looking?

Thanks so much! These are my first chickens. I've had them for over a year but this is the first time they've had something wrong with them.

Does she free range? Maybe she had an encounter with a hawk or other predator? That is an awful lot of feathers to come out all at once. This is my guess if you do free range.

 

[stephilde]

thank yo all so much!!!! All your knowledge has really been helpful!!!