Naked Chicken

[newbiechicken]

I have one hen, of 13, who is almost naked. She is not molting, I have seen that before. I see no bugs on her, non in the coop. I sprinkle w/ DE frequently. Her whole bottom is totally bare, the side of her neck (which might be from the rooster) and, of course, her back (again, probably from the rooster). This happened in the winter and I thought maybe she was having a winter molt. But, no, nothing has grown back. It's been a good five months. She seems happy, eats great, same energy as the rest of them, and is laying.

I've given all the girls a poultry conditioner, fresh fruits and veggies, greens, and table scraps. They get 16% layer crumbles (or 16% pellets occasionally when tha's what the feed store gets) and scratch grains daily. They free range for several hours in the afternoon and their coop is dry and clean.

Ideas? Anything I should try to get feathers back on her before another really bad winter? I don't want to use Sevin dust, I try to keep chemical free for my bees.

Sara.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

What happened with one of my hens (my Barred Rock specifically), when I had all my original roosters that were in my order from Ideal hatchery, she ended up being one of the first to lay and was the main target of the roosters. Eventually her feathers were torn down to the very bottom so only a tiny bit of the feather shaft was left. So little I couldn't pull it out to start regrowth. Same thing happened on her head too from being over-mated. But after waiting they finally molted/fell out on their own and her back is full of feathers again. You may just need time for her to grow the feathers back. I would recommend get a saddle so she doesn't get wounds on the bare skin. It will help protect from the rooster's claws/spurs while he mounts her.