molting question

[kla37]

I want to know if chickens lose their feathers in any kind of order when they are molting. A couple of my chickens are losing some feathers on their bums, and in general look raggedy. They are eating and drinking fine, and I checked them all over for mites and there are no signs of anyone being pecked at all. They are still laying too.

 

[redstars]

Do you notice any feathers laying around the coop or area they are in?
My girls also have bare butts. What I notice is when they bend to eat another one will come from behind and peck a feather out of that one.
It's a bad habit I wish I could break them of.

 

[kla37]

Yes, there are some fluffy butt feathers lying around. I saw some of them eating them, but that was after they had fallen out and were laying on the ground.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Do you have a picture?

Hens going through a mini molt can lose tail feathers, but generally molting looks like this: