What's wrong with her feathers????

[meadrian]

What is wrong with her feathers? She's not molting. There are no pin feathers and it's the wrong time of year. It's all her downy feathers. No lice or mites, either. Any ideas???

 

[chicks4kids]

It looks to me like she needs a saddle.......um, she's the roos favorite.......

 

[monita]

my hen looks like that after being broody for a while. i dont know why.

 

[LilPeeps]

She has been heavily bred.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

I would separate the roo for awhile. Now we are assuming you have roo. If there is no roo, either she or some other bird is picking her feather.

 

[meadrian]

Thanks everyone! No roo. Just two other girls all about the same age and have been together for about a year. She's bottom of the pecking order, but I'd think this is way more than what should happen.

LilPeeps - I'm not sure what you mean by heavily bred. Obviously these are my first chickens. Could you explain?

I did order a saddle today. And I can separate her from the other two, but if it's pecking will that stop it? I've seen the other two pull at her feathers on occasion and she just lets them do it until it hurts, then moves away.

She hasn't been broody and she's eating and active.

So if I separate her, how long should they be apart? Until the new feathers grow in?

So good to have this input. Thanks!

 

[chicks4kids]

If you put a saddle on her I don't think you'd need to seperate her from the others. It takes some time for those feathers to grow back in as well. Some chickens can grow 'em faster than others so it will just depend on your girl.

And I have to admit I was totally shocked that you said there is no roo...

 

[meadrian]

Yeah and I thought I'd never need a saddle since I didn't have one!

I guess you just never know.

This is all pretty new to me. So If I use the saddle, keep them together do the other two eventually leave her alone? Maybe get tired of pecking the saddle?