Polish roo loosing head feathers

[Jader7777]

He's about 4 months old and his head has been loosing feathers for about 2 weeks now. At first I thought it was pecking but there's no signs of blood or damage, his head looks otherwise healthy. Here's some pictures:













Is this normal? Otherwise he is extremely healthy, alert and unaffected by it but I wanted to be sure it wasn't something serious.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Aww...poor boy. He is so pretty!! He just might be molting as he is young enough to be. Looks like new feathers coming in. Chicks molt about 7 times before getting their adult feathers in. Or he might be getting picked on. Many Polish in a mixed flock do because they look so much different than the others and birds pluck their head feathers. Many people keep their Polish together in separate quarters.

You might contact this member, @Yorkshire coop here on BYC, she raises Polish and knows all about them.

Good luck and I hope you can get this figured out soon!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

I agree with TwoCrows that it could be juvenile moult or feather pecking. They sure can be pesky at doing it when your not looking!! I had some hens strip a polish boys head in the space of a couple hours while I was out. It's a good sign you have feathers coming back in but this may cause more pecking when they come through more. Do you have him in a mixed flock? Even other polish can be a bit of a pain when it comes to having a go at each other.
Your main priority now is to make sure they don't draw any blood if it is feather pecking. Once they see blood it becomes a vicious circle and the blood tends to send them into a frenzy, you could tie or band his remaining crest up so they can't see the redness. Or put some blue kote on him. Not too tight but just enough to keep it up. Also I would recommend some anti peck spray on him. Alternatively you could seperate him untill it comes back fully just incase.

I don't think it is anything serious right now but just one of those things that can happen with polands. For all their looks and prettiness they do take a little more time to care for and can throw you problems with their fancy crests.

Wishing you the very best of luck with him, I hope you will be able to post some pics when he has his beautiful crest fully back

ETA ~ Here is the link for a popular polish thread ~https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/355316/polish-thread/0_30
Please do drop by, lots of pics of polish with their crests tied up and some others that have the same problem as your boy.

 

[Jader7777]

Thanks for the welcomes and the replies.

He is currently in a group in a large run which we let out to wander during the day. The group consists of:

- 1 Wyandotte roo
- 1 Wyandotte hen
- 1 Polish frizzle hen
- 1 Araucana hen
- 3 Bandam silkie hens

I've been with them for many hours and I never see them pecking each other and I never hear them squabbling, they seem to do very well together as they were raised together from hatchlings. I'll try to make a nice hat for him, if I find it pecked off then that will be evidence enough and I'll seperate him.

 

[theoldchick]

Howdy! Nothing worse than a bald Polish roo. Looks like he's going through a molt. I see new feathers coming in so he should be okay.





They are pitiful looking.



So long as their is no trauma or bleeding, I let molt take its course.

 

[Antiocheggers]

I just noticed on the back of Pepper head he is losing feathers. So thanks for answering my questions.