Missing Feathers

[MSBG]

I have 8 hens & 2 RIR-I know the boys will pluck head feathers but what about the back feathers? I have 2-3 hens that are missing quite a lot of feathers from their backs to the point of seeing skin. They have room to roam, things to keep them occupied, dirt, sand & ash to bathe in & home cooking treats in addition to their healthy food.
The areas of baldness are dirty looking but I don't see anything moving such as bugs. What can I do to help or is this normal?

Why do the hens gobble up feathers like they are a delicacy?


Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!

BG

 

[aveca]

hens will eat feathers because they need a little more calcium add more oyster shells to thier diets..honestly they just like the little feathers like candy..

Chicken lice are pretty hard to see ..they are carried in on wild birds so it wouldnt hurt to treat once or twice a year..I do it spring and fall..

The latter might be a molt around 2 years they will begin a molt and this is normall...It takes a long time to build new feathers from a molt .so little more protein in the diet helps..if the molt goes on for many months longer than it should then you might get some help with it..We just had a strange molt they thought might be a fungus or skin infection ..skin samples were taken and we just found out they found nothing..and the hens were just picking on each other after 3 of them were moved into breeding pen , but the rooster needs some help she thinks he being male isnt getting enough protien cause he worrys too much about his hens and lets them eat everything so he only has one hen now and calf manna added to help rebuild the ugly neck feathers.

 

[TurkeyMountainChickens]

Did you mean that you have 2 roosters to 8 hens? That's one rooster too many! I'd imagine that's why your poor hens have no feathers on their backs. Look up "rooster tracks."

I would separate/rehome one rooster. For your hens, you might need to get/make them some saddles until their feathers grow back. They will protect them form further damage from your roo, and besides, you don't want the poor things getting sunburned!