Rooster damage, feather recovery?

[mountainbunny]

Last spring my rooster was pretty rough with my five hens. All of them received a slight amount of feather loss on their backs. One of my poor BO hens got the worst of it. Her whole back is bare. They appear to be going through a soft molt now. Started seeing feathers all over the coop floor and outside where they range. The amount of feathers on ground seems to be increasing. I started them on Feather Fixer formula feed. Anyway I'm am wonder if the feathers lost from rooster damage this spring should grow back now that they are molting, even if it is just a soft molt? Oh and the rooster was sent to rooster heaven after attacking a person(friend) and drawing blood this summer so he is no other an issue.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It's possible that she may re-grow all the feathers back, a lot depends on her "soft molt" I had 1BO girl that only re-grew a few feathers lost from a rooster - she also just had a soft molt. She still looked rough for another year until she went through a hard molt. Now she is just lovely. It's really up the the individual.

 

[Silkiesarefluffydinos]

If it's just a soft molt, it could take a little while for the back feathers to grow, but they might grow back this molt. I have a hen who's back was bare when we got her, and it took several months before they finally grew back, but now she looks beautiful!

 

[mountainbunny]

Thanks. We will wait and see then. Poor thing has been bare backed since about May. She's otherwise healthy and happy. I just want her pretty again.

 

[Eggcessive]

My hens the first year had some bare backs from the rooster, and they did not fill in until the big molt at 16-18 months. They wore some homemade one piece polarfleece hen saddles that year for protection and warmth.

 

[Jessdesk]

Yeah, mine have the broken off feathers from the boys. I’ve been considering those apron thingies for the 2 hens with the feather damage.