My hen is bald?

[oesdog]

OK I have a Rhode Island Red Called Drum stick.

She is a pretty thin bird anyhow but lately she looks terrible compared to the other birds. About 6 weeks ago we lost her friend Elly and since then Drum stick has been a bit depressed. Now she lost all the feathers on her head and when I picked her up today she has no feathers on her neck at the front at all and none on her belly which now has red sore looking skin instead. She seems well enough in herself in that her crown is bright red and she still lays eggs. She just looks really awful and when I pick her up she is ssooooooooooooooo thin. But I do see her eating and drinking ok and her poo is fine. The only thing I noticed is her feet seem scally and swollen????????? Any ideas.

The coop has been completely washed out and disinfected and all the 4 girls who live there have been sprayed for mites.

That Coop is a shed with different levels in and roosts and two laying boxes - so plently of room for 4 hens. - could she just be going through a natural moult??????

Oesdog -

 

[sourland]

The feather loss sounds like a molt unless you have a rooster, and then it could be breeding damage. Do a search on scaley leg mites. That could be the problem with their legs. edited to indicate that I think your hen is bald not bold.

 

[oesdog]

She is a Bold Bald hen actually!!!!!!!!!

 

[ranchhand]

Hey you!

I'd be looking into mites or lice again, and definitely the scaly leg mites. All mites can eventually kill a bird and the leg mites can be painful. Go out at night after they roost, and really search each one with a flashlight. Use a different product to treat them, do some searches.

Good luck, don't forget to treat everything- coop, run, roosts, bedding, etc. AND your clothes/shoes!

 

[oesdog]

Thanks Ranchhand - your good to me! Will try to see if its mites. My babies are still alive going strong! Omlet still doing well ! Must try to figure how to put pics on as I don;t know and want to!

Oesdog -

 

[LynneP]

My RIR x sexlinks are moulting, but it never hurts to check for pests.