Missing Feathers

[Stephen1152]

My birds are missing feathers. I checked them a scazillion times with magnifying glasses by the vent, head and under the wings. I treated 2 of them with frontline as a test. I just inspected the nest boxes. In the heat of the summer all i saw in one box was a few little bugs running Around. Far from an infestation. I sprayed all the boxes and replaced the hay anyway. Everything has DE in it. Everything is extremely dry. My birds take dust baths in DE constantly. Oh yir. I increased their protein a few weeks ago. They seem very happy. I attached pictures. The red patch is the breast. The feathers appear broken. This is two separate hens. Thanks

 

[so lucky]

How old are they? Is there a rooster present? Do the girls spend the day sitting in the nest? It looks to me like the little spikes sticking out are the beginnings of new feathers. When they first emerge, they look like porcupine quills, sort of.
This could be their first adult molt, or a rooster being aggressive, or broodiness setting in.

 

[Stephen1152]

How old are they? Is there a rooster present? Do the girls spend the day sitting in the nest? It looks to me like the little spikes sticking out are the beginnings of new feathers. When they first emerge, they look like porcupine quills, sort of.
This could be their first adult molt, or a rooster being aggressive, or broodiness setting in.

Thanks for your post. They are 2. One was broody a few weeks ago. No rooster. What you see in the pictUre is broken feathers. Its not a molt.

 

[so lucky]

Hmm. Hopefully someone else will have some other ideas. I can't imagine how chickens could get broken feathers on their breast, unless there is something abrasive on their roost.