Please help

[Megs7714]

Please help. I have no idea what's going on with my hen. I've treated for lice and mites, did corrid, and also acv for vent gleet. Why is she losing her feathers? They are all gone on the back and on her bottom. Please help!

 

[grayjay11o]

How long have they been like this? Could she be molting or being picked on?

 

[Megs7714]

She's about 3 yrs old, and I put the saddle on her back about a month ago. There's still no new feather growth, but her bottom has progressively gotten worse.

 

[Megs7714]

Would they molt this early? Shes usually on top of the pecking order.

 

[Eggcessive]

Does she have any feather loss anywhere else? Ahe may be getting her feathers pulled out by others or herself. Is her lower belly enlarged, or does it just look prominent because of the feather loss? Sometimes you can use Nustock Cream on the skin to help prevent the pecking. It tastes bad to the other chickens, and it has antifungal, antibacterial properties and will help if there are any lice there. Pine Tar will help as well. Both may be found in the horse aisle in feed stores.

 

[Megs7714]

It doesn't appear enlarged. But she is missing feathers in the front also. I'll have to get some pine tar or that cream

 

[Eggcessive]

A molt usually happens around 18 months old and once a year thereafter. Feather picking sometimes may happen when they are fed to little protein in the diet, when they are overcrowded, boredom if they don’t get outside to roam, and other reasons. Some may do it on the roosts in the evening.