what does it mean when chickens have bald spots?

[hdvision]

My chickens seem healthy but a few of them have bald spots on their lower left and right sides.... and on some places on the bald spots there are no feather roots... help?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I suggest you check out this site. You are on the spot and can see and will know things we cannot. It could be something serious or it could be something totally normal. My first guess is that they are young meat birds growing faster than they can feather out. But I don't know so it is purely a guess.

Kansas State feather loss
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/mf2308.pdf

Good luck!

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Is this on their wings or actual sides? Is there a rooster with them? Are they laying yet? Are they sitting in the nests for a long time?
Could be a lot of things.
If you have a rooster, could be from him mounting them when mating.
Have you checked for lice?
When a hen starts to go broody, many times she will pull feathers from her belly and sides to help line the nest and also for better heat transfer to the eggs.
Could be moult or partial moult.
They could be pulling each others feathers.

 

[hdvision]

1. Hens
2. Sides; not wings
3. No lice/bugs
4. Other hens not pecking at the others
5. Pretty sure they're not broody
6. I might think molting... but not sure cause it has been like this for a while. It's not too much of a problem, just raises concern, more like I want to know and not need to know