Overbred hens with red skin

PeachLily

In the Brooder
Jun 8, 2016
17
7
37
I have 8 one year old hens, 4 of which were overbred by 3 roosters (beginner's mistake). I waited too long to dispatch the roosters but they have been gone for 3 weeks now. I see no improvement in the raw skin on the hens' bare backs and wing joints. I did use bacitracin but maybe not often enough. I have 2 basic questions: shouldn't the raw skin have begun to heal by now and feathers begin to grow back? One hen even had a saddle for a few months, under which the skin looks fine but no feathers have begun to grow back at all. Is there anything I can do to help this process along? None of the hens is pecking at the injured backs so that is not an issue.
 
You could feed extra protein/vitamins/minerals.
Some feed store sell something called Feather Fixer.
You may want to look into that.
 
Extra protein may help, but they may not grow new feathers until they molt. If they are getting a lot of sun, then you can leave the saddle on for some protection until they do start to feather. It sometimes can take a long time.
 

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