Weird chicken breast

[angela0408]

So this hen has had this problem since the spring. She lost all he feathers and hasn’t grown them back. She’s eating, drinking and laying. Any thoughts? If she doesn’t grow then back before winter she’s going to get frostbite there I would think.

 

[so lucky]

Has she been broody?

 

[SueT]

can you see any mites?

 

[angela0408]

Nope, not at all. No mites, I checked.

 

[casportpony]

If her crop always full like that?

 

[CarpCharacin]

A while back, I had a hen that lost feathers in that same area, I think they had been worn off, and she regrew them the next time she molted. It's possible that it could be the same thing with your hen, but I'm a little concerned that it could be something else. It also looks like she could have scaly leg mites.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So this hen has had this problem since the spring. She lost all he feathers and hasn’t grown them back. She’s eating, drinking and laying. Any thoughts? If she doesn’t grow then back before winter she’s going to get frostbite there I would think.

What does the bare spot feel like? Is it always full like that?
Check her crop, is that part of the crop? Crop empty in the morning? Any sour stinky breath?
Watch her walk...does her foot bump that when she's walking?
To me, if that's part of the crop, it's pendulous, sometimes a bird will continually "bump" a full/pendulous crop which wears off the feathers. I would track her crop daily for several days. If that is a stretched out crop, then she might benefit from a crop bra.

I also agree with @CarpCharacin it looks like she has SLM, apply vaseline or oil of choice to the legs a couple of times a week to kill them and heal the legs.

 

[angela0408]

I’ll check her for leg scaly mite. I’ve had one chicken with that. Vaseline works so well on that. It does sway a lot and it has been really full at times and then I check her again and it feels good. She does seem to kick at when she walks.

 

[angela0408]

One leg is fine for sure, she just has thick legs, the other was questionable so I threw some Vaseline on it just in case. This is year 2 at any rate and she hasn’t been a spectacular layer, but eats a ton of food, so she’ll most likely be a cull. I wouldn’t get barred rocks again.