Molting question

[Auntie Moose]

Is there a particular place on their body that hens will begin to molt? Mine has a shiny hiney (by her vent), but nowhere else. I only noticed it because I was cleaning her dirty rear end. Would that be an unusual place to start molting, or is someone pecking her? TIA!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Feathers missing on the bottom is usually from picking or over mating, not molting.

 

[mymilliefleur]

Can you post a pic so we can better understand what you mean?
Sometimes if they have a real messy vent, and get poo stuck to the feathers they (the feathers) will fall off.

 

[Auntie Moose]

Feathers missing on the bottom is usually from picking or over mating, not molting.

Well, there is no roo, so I guess we have an answer!

 

[Auntie Moose]

Can you post a pic so we can better understand what you mean?
Sometimes if they have a real messy vent, and get poo stuck to the feathers they (the feathers) will fall off.

I'll see if I can get a picture, but it looks exactly like bare chicken skin, like plucked chicken you get in a store. It's a small, narrow strip of missing feathers. Perhaps she was trying to clean herself and pulled too hard?

 

[Auntie Moose]

No blood or damage to the skin.