Only shaft of feathers left

[happymorrows]

I have a Silver Laced Wynadotte who has a feather issue. She has all of her feathers, they aren't falling out, but the "feathery" part of them is mostly gone. The shaft of the feather is still there. She looks a bit like a porcupine running around. She seems otherwise healthy and I have looked and looked and can't see any mites or lice of any kind. I have looked several times on different days, and none of my other 14 chickens seem to be affected.

 

[mskitn]

I have a frizzle silkie that this has happened too. I don't think it's the porcupine thing because she wasn't born this way. It has just happened. She had beautiful feathers and at about a year old all the fuzzy parts have gone. None of my other hens are having any problems, not even the 2 other frizzles. She was definitely the frizziest. Did you ever figure out what was wrong?

 

[Mt Hood Hens]

I'm also trying to figure this out. My one(of 6) hen looks exactly like that. I never see other hens picking on her, nor does she pick on herself, more does she seem to have mites/lice/etc...... So strange that if it's a decency, the other ones aren't affected....

 

[NovaAman]

Is she molting? Wonder if its a vitamin deficiency... Got a picture?

 

[teach1rusl]

Is she molting??? Did her other feathers fall out and these are new shafts coming through???

Or are you saying the exposed feather has been snipped off???

 

[happymorrows]

No, the feather shafts are not falling out. The "feathery" part along the shafts have disappeared on the hard feathers. This is on old feathers, and she does have new ones coming in. I suppose it may be a molt, but not one like I have seen before. The feathers are not falling out, they are just really degraded. She eats the same as all the others, chicken food, scratch, free range, and food scraps. I will post a picture tomorrow.

 

[teach1rusl]

Yeah, a picture would be great!

 

[Imp]

There is a genetic feather defect called porcupine chickens. I haven't seen many posts about it.

http://jhered.oxfordjournals.org/content/58/4/163.extract

Imp

 

[daltongang]

Has anyone found a cause for or solution to this issue? I have a Frizzle Bantam with the same problem. She started having this happen a month ago and went broody a week ago. None of our other chickens have this problem. We have not clipped her wings and I don't think she's molting (only 6 months old). I'm new and this is a first post for me so don't let me down BYC Community!

 

[daltongang]

As best I can tell this was from our aggressive rooster. He's since been relocated and I haven't seen any worsening of her feathers. I won't know for sure until she molts feathers next.