Supposed molt?

[sphillips]

Im guessing my hens are going through their first molt, but I'm not seeing any new feather growth. One of my hens has had a bald butt for several months now. Skin looks healthy, they don't look like any of the pictures I've seen of molts before. Their feathers are very fuzzy, they have bald spots everywhere, but not seeing any new feathers coming out. What is going on???? Hens are about a year old, 15 hens in a 12 x 12 coop with a 12 x 30 ft run. Help here, I've been supplementing with mealworms, cat food, and they seem healthy otherwise.

 

[Judy]

You're right, I don't think that's molting. Molting normally starts at the head/neck and works its way down. Feathers missing from back ends is often due to feather picking, or others pulling the feathers out, often eating them. Actually I recently read of its also possibly being due to mice eating the feathers?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/back-to-basic-living-feather-picking-plucking-and-cannibalism

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697052/i-think-i-found-a-miracle-cure-for-feather-picking/0_20

 

[Odelia]

Do you have any photo's?

 

[sphillips]

I will get some pictures now. I'm ashamed of how bad they look. We have a mouse problem this year that is worse than last, and did see a mouse in the coop the other night. Actually ran out between my legs! I have only seen on or two feathers in the coop, egg production is now way down from about 15 a day to 8 or 9. I'll get some pictures posted asap.

 

[sphillips]

Here are some pictures. I have no idea what's going on. The one hen with a bald spot on her side was from feather picking by my speckled Sussex hens, they were rehomed last summer, but the feathers never grew back.

 

[sphillips]

Here are a few more