Molting and bumblefoot

[sunflour]

Hi, I am new to raising chickens and I am looking for some definitions about molting. Is there a difference between normal molting and loss of feathers due to some other condition or disease? My Brahma hen Beulah has lost the feathers only on her neck and she is sitting in the nesting box a lot. I have to move her to the run so she will eat and drink, which she does, but then she goes back to the nest to set. We are not getting many eggs. It's a 3 hen coop, and the other hens are laying less as a result of Beulah's hogging all the space. They all tend to lay their eggs in the same place, and where we were normally getting eggs every day, now we are seeing one or two every 2-3 days. I'm not sure what to do.

Molting is not limited to only one place, they will lose all their feathers ( thank goodness not all at once ) and you'll see new pin feathers in the follicles coming in.
Most parasites that cause feather loss are also not limited to the neck area.

Definitely sounds broody - if the loss is on the upper chest, she could be pulling those herself - broodies do that. if on the neck itself - the others may be trying to pull her out of a favorite nest.

*** to get more attention to your posts, it is best for you to pick the forum by subject and start a new thread, often adding onto another topic can just get lost around here.

 

[2BsFamilyFarm]

Thank you, and good luck with your hen too!

 

[2BsFamilyFarm]

Molting is not limited to only one place, they will lose all their feathers ( thank goodness not all at once ) and you'll see new pin feathers in the follicles coming in.
Most parasites that cause feather loss are also not limited to the neck area.

Definitely sounds broody - if the loss is on the upper chest, she could be pulling those herself - broodies do that. if on the neck itself - the others may be trying to pull her out of a favorite nest.

*** to get more attention to your posts, it is best for you to pick the forum by subject and start a new thread, often adding onto another topic can just get lost around here.

Thank you, I appreciate the feedback, I was wondering about brooding. Could be that.

 

[PluckyJen]

Thank you, I appreciate the feedback, I was wondering about brooding. Could be that.

I was thinking about it this morning. My Hariett was broody not too long ago and at the same time she started molting. Aha we are cracking the puzzle