molting?

[Mogli]

hello i have a ? about molting 1 of my golden comet hens has a molting problem ive had all 5 of my hens for 3 months all of them have there feathers no big bare spots on them except the 1 shes got like no feathers on the back or the front of her neck or on the flat part of her back and they dont wanna seem to grow back idk why shes still laying so the molting an:t slowing that down witch is good what do u think is wrong?

 

[gritsar]

Do you have a roo? What you have described sounds like treading damage from a roo's mating. A rooster tends to have favorites and those girls show more feather damage than the others.

 

[Mogli]

hello kat my names mitch no i do not have a rooster just 5 hens the other hens peck at her bare bach once in a while but she dont like it so she walks away after the nip at her but they arn't the ones making her lose feathers they just arn't any feathers there ive read on this website that it takes a few months to grow back idk if thats true or not

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
If a feather is completely gone, shaft and all, it will start to grow back immediately. If the feather is only broken, but the shaft is still intact (attached) then it won't grow back until the bird molts.
If pecking is a problem, you can purchase a product called pine tar - you'll find it at the feed stores, in the horse section. It's messy to apply and sticks to everything, but chickens hate the taste of it and it usually cures pecking in just one use.
To help your girl(s) grow back their feathers quicker, you can up their intake of protein. Some good ways to increase protein - switch to a gamebird feed (be sure and offer oyster shell on the side if you do this, for the calcium), give them black oil sunflower seeds as a regular treat, offer other treats that are high in protein, and occasional treats of dry cat food.
Basicaly feathers are protein, so any treat you can think of that has a high protein content will help.
Finally, consider purchasing a hen saddle for your bare hen. It will protect her skin while the feathers grow back.

 

[michpetea]

Another product called blu - coat (sp?) which does the same thing, but is specially made for this.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Not to start an argument or anything, but I've found and read of many instances where blu-kote was useless. Pine tar works every single time.
I also had occasion recently to use pine tar on a wound. My turken chick got a bad gash on the back of her neck. If she had been a human the gash would have no doubt needed stitches. Treated once a day with pine tar for three days. I went to apply it on the fourth day and the wound was completely healed, barely any scar. Pine tar has medicinal and germicidal properties and has been used for decades.

 

[math ace]

Is there any way you could get a picture of the damage ? ?

Molting normally effects egg laying. If you aren't noticing a change in the egg laying - - - maybe it isn't molting.

You have had the hens for 3 months and they are laying - - - so you got older birds. . . .
Did she come to you bald like you describe ? ? ?

It is possible there is another issue - - -please post pictures.