Old chicken significant feather loss no sign of regrowth

pdxchucks

Chirping
5 Years
Jan 18, 2016
7
6
52
Portland oregon
My 6 year old Buff orpington, Rosie, started to lose her feathers about 10 months ago. It started with her throat area and i originally thought that one of my other birds was plucking them out. I installed a camera in the coop to observe the behaviour of my girls but no bullying or feather plucking seemed to be occurring. She has slowly lost more and more feathers all over her poor old body a bit like a hard moult but there are no signs of regrowth at all. She is still eating well and has seemed otherwise OK until one of my broody chickens turned on her the other day and attacked her which has made my poor bald girl less enthusiastic for life :(
I cannot see any evidence of mites and my other girls are all fine and flourishing and I would assume that if there were mites in the coop they would all have them and start to look poorly?
Would a worm infestation cause this to happen to just one chicken?
Its really difficult to find a vet who takes chickens seriously in my city....so help is appreciated from the wise chicken community.
rosie 1.jpg
rosie 2.jpg
 
I'm not sure what's going on with her.
Maybe something like Marek's? Cutaneous form...
Does she lay eggs? Could be hormonal.

Just speculation of my part.

Hopefully the others have some suggestions.
 
She still squats when approached but I don't think she is currently laying. I don't think its Mareks as there is no paralysis and she is otherwise well in
herself
 
Did she molt 10 months ago or earlier than that last year? It really looks like molting or feather picking that has not grown back in. When a few of my young hens were overmated by the young rooster, they lost their feathers on the back. They did not regrow until the first molt at 18 months. Cutaneous Mareks, the form that causes lesions and tumors on the skin, might also be a possibility, but it just looks more like feather loss.
 
Did she molt 10 months ago or earlier than that last year? It really looks like molting or feather picking that has not grown back in. When a few of my young hens were overmated by the young rooster, they lost their feathers on the back. They did not regrow until the first molt at 18 months. Cutaneous Mareks, the form that causes lesions and tumors on the skin, might also be a possibility, but it just looks more like feather loss.
She started to lose feathers around 10 months ago but it was more gradual than a true molt. I'm kind of in the same mindset that it's a really hard slow molt and that at somepoint her feathers may start to grow back. She doesn't appear to have any tumors or lesions on the exposed skin apart from her recent injuries caused by my broody irritable hen but those are healing nicely.....
If I find a vet to take her they may not be able to find anything and it would be super stressful for her in her already stressed state..........

I'm tempted to just sit it out and if she starts to behave actually sick then Ill take her. I have heard of molts lasting for 18 months so maybe its just that....and shes a bit old.....
 

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