shedding feathers

[clucker49]

need answers from some of you professionals.one of my hens is shedding feathers bad and its cold winter here in va.im new to chickens ,although I was around them as a child on a farm,i never did really kno nothing about them.do I have any worrys of disease or is this common stuff?

 

[sunflour]

There are a number of causes of feather loss - molting, mites/lice, feather picking. The pattern & appearance can help determine the cause.

Could you post a picture or at least describe where your chicken is losing the feathers?

There are a lot of threads on feather loss, here's an external link with a discussion:

http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/12/reasons-for-missing-feathers-in.html

 

[clucker49]

seems to be losing all over.shes lost enough till she looks like a smaller chicken.dont think its mites but I will try to look her over good.

 

[sunflour]

Sounds more like a molt. If you see pin feathers coming in the naked areas, then its molting.