What on earth???

[meredithfair]

Why would her neck feathers separate like this? Started yesterday. The other three hens look normal.

 

[meredithfair]

Hi - I could use some help. I love my girls and I am really worried.


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[Kelsie2290]

Have you checked really closely to be sure she doesn't have something caught around her neck like a string or something. I have had them look something like that when they have stuck their neck through a fence wire / chicken wire trying to get away from something and got stuck or had a hard time trying to pull it back out.

 

[meredithfair]

No strings... And today, a second chicken's neck feathers look like that (but not quite as severe.) could this be the start of molting?


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[purpletree23]

Is there run just dirt and no grass but there is grass growing on the other side of the fence just within their reach? If so I would think this is from the fence because they are trying to reach grass.

Maybe a little free ranging could be arranged with you watching them if there is a risk of predators.

 

[Kelsie2290]

It does look to me like a got-stuck-in-the-fence type of line. But it could have something do do with molting, especially if the separation is where the neck feathers turn into body feathers... you get a line something like that when they raise their hackles, it is just a lot more pronounced than I usually see.

 

[purpletree23]

Just as a precaution check for mites and lice.