please help....pecked chickens but no mites ?

[muck4luckmccluck]

We only have 5 chickens and they have plenty of room and a good diet.
They are 1 year old and we have had them 2 months. 2 of them were little pecked looking when we got them but we thought they would improve once we had had them a while, they were from a free range farm.
I have recently removed one because she had started to go bald around the back area.(where the feathers had been pulled it had bled so I bathed it in salt water) we have seperated her for a week and she hasnt layed once (but may have never layed as we have never had loads of eggs) since removing her I have now removed 2 more as they are going the same way. one is only laying the odd egg and has no shell.They are given grit but dont seem interested.They roam free and eat loads of worms and grass. The 2 left in the coop look A1, they are laying great eggs have all their feathers and are nice and plump. Can some-one please tell me what I am doing wrong.
I have checked for mites but have found nothing,

 

[lurky]

Maybe she is just molting. My birds are all just over a year and they are all molting like crazy.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Are the missing feathers in the saddle area?(just above the tail feathers on their backs). Do you have a roo? If so it sounds like rooster rash-overmating by the rooster can result in his pulling their feathers out. Separation periods can help-remove him from them for periods of time. Some only allow the rooster out with the hens while they free range and lock him separate when they are locked up. Chicken Saddles can help too. There is a link in my sig for sew and non sew patterns and someone on here just posted about making and selling some-you'll have to do a search.

Oh and the eggs. Stress can cause them. But are they getting layer feed? Do you have free choice oyster shell for them? They need the calcium to make the shells.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

My Welsummer did the exact same thing and she was moulting. She didn't lay for a little over a month and is now laying again as of three days ago

And egg every day so far...and she lost all her feathers in that area and her long tail feathers she lost too. She also was very crabby at bedtime to the other hens. She is better now and I see new long tail feathers growing out.

 

[muck4luckmccluck]

Thanks so much for the advice.its good to have some suggestions. I dont have a roo so it can't be that. poor old girls.lol.

I have noticed that one has started pulling at her feathers at the saddle area and she made bleed again.

but the other 2 which I was concerned about seem fine, just a little ruffled, so I think like you say they are just moulting.
They do have layers pellets but just norm grit. not the oyster so I will try that.
I did wonder if my son was stressing them a little as at times he is rather noisy around them, but they actually come into the house following us now, so im not sure its that either.lol.
I will try anything though.
Thanks again, I will keep you posted on how they are doing.