What is this?

[PeterLemonjello]

Hi,

I'm a new member... as well as new to keeping chickens.

My 10-month-old Rhode Island Red has an unusual patch of feathers on her lower back (pictures below). They're short, downy and white-ish/gray. She's also lost a few feathers on her neck. I checked for lice and mites and found nothing. Her feathers have been this way for two months now. Her coop-mate doesn't have anything like this.

I thought is might be molting...??? But I'm not sure.

Any idea what this could be?

 

[chicmom]

Hello there!

If you're sure there are not lice or mites, then you might have a feather picker. When you get a minute or two, and you have time to observe, just sit quietly nearby and watch your hens. I had a similar problem with this happening to EVERY hen in my flock, except one. I discovered, by just sitting and watching, that this one hen was pecking the back on each chicken, and pulling out their feathers! She would sneak up on them, eyeball their backs, and WHAM! PLUCK!

She may be doing this because she is bored. Or because she's the dominant hen, or even because she needs a bit more protein in her diet. Chickens will eat feathers because they are made mostly of protein. Another reason for pecking is overcrowding.

Good luck, and I hope you figure it out! Let me know what you discover by observation! (I love watching then hens....)

Sharon

 

[PeterLemonjello]

Thanks for the reply!

I've definitely seen the other hen peck at her... I don't know why I didn't think that wouldn't be causing this.

Any tips for getting her to stop the picking? More protein? Separate them for while?

 

[chicmom]

Do you just have the two hens? I'm thinking if you can separate them until your hen grows her feathers back, that might be good, but chances are, the pecking will start again once they are together. Chickens are just like that.

Oh, you could add a flock block, which is a really big block made just for chickens to peck at. They usually have them at farm stores and they cost around $10.00.

Usually it's just a bad habit, not from needing protein, but you can give your hen a one of those tiny cans of cat food occasionally, or a hard boiled egg yolk chopped up.

Do they have a chicken run? Or a little fenced in area with sand so they can run around and scratch and sun bathe? Throw them some cracked corn and they love it. Sometimes chickens just need things to do.

 

[PeterLemonjello]

Yeah, it's just the two. They have a small run now, but we're planning on making it bigger this Spring.

Anyway, thanks for all your help. I'll certainly try everything you've suggested!