Naked belly

[smithbleaufarm]

Hi everyone. I need some help. I am at a loss.
This is my 1 year old black australorp, Mama. I noticed a while ago that she was missing a few feather at the top of her head right behind her comb. I had originally thought it was the result of the repeated forible mating by my rooster, that he was pulling too hard on her head and ripping her feathers out...so i immediately seperated him from the girls, its been 3 months and all my girls are so much happier. Today i was out cleaning and refilling food and water , mama came over to investigate. I scooped her up to pet her and noticed a completely bald spot behind her ear. Then a much larger completely bald area on the belly and inner thighs. The shin is white and smooth, does not look as though i have a pecking issue. So i do not know whats wrong with my chicken. She is not in any pain and allowed my to touch and rub the bald spots.. i just dont know why she is losing her beautiful feathers..i also ran around and check all my other girls and none of them are having this problem.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Poultry parent]

Are you sure she isn't molting?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi everyone. I need some help. I am at a loss.
This is my 1 year old black australorp, Mama. I noticed a while ago that she was missing a few feather at the top of her head right behind her comb. I had originally thought it was the result of the repeated forible mating by my rooster, that he was pulling too hard on her head and ripping her feathers out...so i immediately seperated him from the girls, its been 3 months and all my girls are so much happier. Today i was out cleaning and refilling food and water , mama came over to investigate. I scooped her up to pet her and noticed a completely bald spot behind her ear. Then a much larger completely bald area on the belly and inner thighs. The shin is white and smooth, does not look as though i have a pecking issue. So i do not know whats wrong with my chicken. She is not in any pain and allowed my to touch and rub the bald spots.. i just dont know why she is losing her beautiful feathers..i also ran around and check all my other girls and none of them are having this problem.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

Check her over for lice/mites. The bald spots on the head/neck are most likely from the rooster and possibly some feather picking. She may be scratching at her neck, so take some time to watch her. Sometimes a flock gets along well during the day, but at roosting time you can have some plucking going on.

Is she losing any tail feathers? The bare spots on the belly could be from roosting and/or laying eggs, sometimes they get rubbed off during the night roosting and some hens pluck a few feathers over time when laying eggs (nesting behavior). Her comb looks a bit dry - is she still laying egg? You can apply some coconut oil or A+D ointment to the comb and neck to help heal the skin or if you observe feather picking, some Blu Kote or Pick No More.

When she goes through her yearly molt, she will grow back her feathers.

 

[smithbleaufarm]

Thanks for the advise. Everyday she goes in the box and sings her egg song. The nesting boxes always have black feathers in them..
I have checked all of them for bugs i did mot find any evidence of any. She is not loosing tail feathers. She is still laying eggs, however i have startred seeing odd shapes, like very long and not "egg shape".. i am pretty certain they are hers. I have cracked them open ans cooked and ate them. They are perfectly normal inside.
I will try the coconut oil on her neck and comb
Thanks you!!!

 

[smithbleaufarm]

I have no idea... she is only 1 year old. And last year was my first time having baby chickens.. that grew into adult laying chickens. ... i had no idea that they even did molt until a couple weeks ago when someone told me. So i dont know whT it looks like nor have i been through it

 

[Poultry parent]

Molting hens generally don't lay, though sometimes they do.
A molting hen has ragged looking feathers that fall out, and then you start to see pin feathers

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for the advise. Everyday she goes in the box and sings her egg song. The nesting boxes always have black feathers in them..
I have checked all of them for bugs i did mot find any evidence of any. She is not loosing tail feathers. She is still laying eggs, however i have startred seeing odd shapes, like very long and not "egg shape".. i am pretty certain they are hers. I have cracked them open ans cooked and ate them. They are perfectly normal inside.
I will try the coconut oil on her neck and comb
Thanks you!!!

Can you post some photos of the eggs?

What type of feed do you offer?
Do you offer extra calcium free choice (oyster shell, crushed egg shells)?

 

[smithbleaufarm]

My girld eat layer pellets. Oystershell, mealworm, scratch grains, and cracked corn. Plus fresh fruits and veggies, squash, pumpkin, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, cantaloupe, Cheerios, and pizza crust....yes thet are very spolied. They come to the back door and beg for treats. I didnt have any one day so i tossed out a couple handfulls of multigrain cheerios.. they went crazy for them. The pizza crust was an accidentwe were eating outside one day and the kid drop the crust. The chickrns attackeked it and took turns chasing each other around the yard with the pizza sticking out of their mouths. It was really pretty funny. Plus they eat whatever grass, bugs, and berries ( in the warmer months) they find while free ranging.

 

[smithbleaufarm]

My girld eat layer pellets. Oystershell, mealworm, scratch grains, and cracked corn. Plus fresh fruits and veggies, squash, pumpkin, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, cantaloupe, Cheerios, and pizza crust....yes thet are very spolied. They come to the back door and beg for treats. I didnt have any one day so i tossed out a couple handfulls of multigrain cheerios.. they went crazy for them. The pizza crust was an accidentwe were eating outside one day and the kid drop the crust. The chickrns attackeked it and took turns chasing each other around the yard with the pizza sticking out of their mouths. It was really pretty funny. Plus they eat whatever grass, bugs, and berries ( in the warmer months) they find while free ranging.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

LOL Keep away is cute

Sounds like they have a nice varied diet. Her odd shaped eggs may be due to a laying glitch or beginning of reproductive issues. I would just keep an eye on her, if she starts to lay soft shell or shell less eggs then try increasing her calcium and give her some vitamins.