Moulting?

[ikatiemay]

Our girls were hatched last may. They havent gone through a moult yet but tonight I noticed a couple of then are losing feathers in a patch on their lower backs. Is this Moulting? what is the usual behavior and time frame for the moult? Do they quit laying during a moult? Thanks for the info!

 

[gritsar]

About 9 months old, correct? The time would be right for a mini-molt, but...

In the way you described it "losing feathers in a patch on their lower backs" my first thought was rooster damage from mating.
ETA: OR feather picking.

 

[ikatiemay]

ugh I was wondering about the roosters. we have 8 hens and 2 roos (one was a guaranteed pullet!) so the ratio is high. Do the roos do damage low on the back? I thought they were pulling at the feathers on the neck with the beak! I guess I might be missing something LOL

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
They can do damage to the feathers on the back of the head by pulling with their beaks, but they also damage the girls back feathers, just in front of the tail, by treading on them, ripping the feathers off with their toenails and in the case of older roos, with the spurs.

Yeah, one to many roos for your girls. I'd suggest saddles as a temporary fix, but feather damage is not the only issue you'll likely have with too many roos.