What the heck is wrong with these hens?!?!

[Kade5ster]

These hens are losing their feathers and not regrowing them, they have huge bald spots under their wings. We only have one rooster with 11 hens, they free range on a 5 acre plot of land. They are feed layer feed in their coop as well as black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, etc. Is there something I can do or will this pass naturally so they can get their beautiful feathers back?

 

[LizzzyJo]

They appear to be rooster's 'favorites' and are being overbred. You can try hen saddles.

 

[Kade5ster]

They appear to be rooster's 'favorites' and are being overbred. You can try hen saddles.

Would that cause bald spots where no feathers grow, I know the rooster mounts them on their “shoulders” but I didn’t think it would bald the feathers underneath

 

[LizzzyJo]

Can you get pictures of the balding underneath? It could be stress picking. Do you see the rooster on them more than others?

 

[Aapomp831]

That is from roosters. Yes they could lose feathers underneath wings bc when they allow the rooster to mount (or are forced) they hold their wings out to balance themselves. The feathers will not regrow until they molt in the fall.

 

[Kade5ster]

Can you get pictures of the balding underneath? It could be stress picking. Do you see the rooster on them more than others?

I don’t think I will be able to get picture under the wing, they are not very tame and don’t like to be touched. We used to have two roosters but I took care of him and now we only have the one. The one we kept doesn’t seem to have a favorite.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Age???

Lots of posters are experiencing "early" molts this year, and in some cases, hard molts. I just processed a 14 mo old CornishX hen (don't ask), she had prominent bald patches under and behind both wings, such as you describe. My other birds of the same age are (thnkfully) experiencing slow molts. Dishevelled, but not balding.

The best thing you can do for molting is increase protein content in the feed. BOSS will do that, though its high fat. Corn is filler, and will not. Meal worms, bsfl, scrambled eggs, so meal (all in moderation) or changing feed over to an All Flock/Flock Raiser type feed with free choice oyster shell would be the recommend if that's the case. If you don't want to completely change the feed over, see if you can find some "game bird grower" or similar, with 24% protein or greater (1:1 with layer gives you a 20% mix), and mix it in with your existing feed, just till they get thru molt.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Age???

Lots of posters are experiencing "early" molts this year, and in some cases, hard molts. I just processed a 14 mo old CornishX hen (don't ask), she had prominent bald patches under and behind both wings, such as you describe. My other birds of the same age are (thnkfully) experiencing slow molts. Dishevelled, but not balding.

The best thing you can do for molting is increase protein content in the feed. BOSS will do that, though its high fat. Corn is filler, and will not. Meal worms, bsfl, scrambled eggs, so meal (all in moderation) or changing feed over to an All Flock/Flock Raiser type feed with free choice oyster shell would be the recommend if that's the case. If you don't want to completely change the feed over, see if you can find some "game bird grower" or similar, with 24% protein or greater (1:1 with layer gives you a 20% mix), and mix it in with your existing feed, just till they get thru molt.

Could be a molt, but don't those feathers look a bit broken and with sensitive red patches?

 

[Aapomp831]

Age???

Lots of posters are experiencing "early" molts this year, and in some cases, hard molts. I just processed a 14 mo old CornishX hen (don't ask), she had prominent bald patches under and behind both wings, such as you describe. My other birds of the same age are (thnkfully) experiencing slow molts. Dishevelled, but not balding.

The best thing you can do for molting is increase protein content in the feed. BOSS will do that, though its high fat. Corn is filler, and will not. Meal worms, bsfl, scrambled eggs, so meal (all in moderation) or changing feed over to an All Flock/Flock Raiser type feed with free choice oyster shell would be the recommend if that's the case. If you don't want to completely change the feed over, see if you can find some "game bird grower" or similar, with 24% protein or greater (1:1 with layer gives you a 20% mix), and mix it in with your existing feed, just till they get thru molt.

Typically molting starts at the base of the comb and works it’s way down.
I agree with the feeding plan, though.

 

[Kade5ster]

Age???

Lots of posters are experiencing "early" molts this year, and in some cases, hard molts. I just processed a 14 mo old CornishX hen (don't ask), she had prominent bald patches under and behind both wings, such as you describe. My other birds of the same age are (thnkfully) experiencing slow molts. Dishevelled, but not balding.

The best thing you can do for molting is increase protein content in the feed. BOSS will do that, though its high fat. Corn is filler, and will not. Meal worms, bsfl, scrambled eggs, so meal (all in moderation) or changing feed over to an All Flock/Flock Raiser type feed with free choice oyster shell would be the recommend if that's the case. If you don't want to completely change the feed over, see if you can find some "game bird grower" or similar, with 24% protein or greater (1:1 with layer gives you a 20% mix), and mix it in with your existing feed, just till they get thru molt.

It could be both the rooster and a type of early molt, I will to spread some DE around the coop too if it’s those darn red mites. I have some left over grower that I can feed those couple hens.