Young Chickens back feathers mysteriously getting plucked at

[K. Kolberg]

I’m so lost as to why 8/9 of my 2 month old chicken’s back feathers look like they have been severely plucked at and shortened. Rooster? I don’t know, the only chicken that doesn’t have any sign of plucking is a cream legbar and it does not look like a roo. Would love advice on this!

 

[Lardson]

Could just be other chickens messing with her, or your rooster is just... not too good at mounting hens. But then again those feathers dont look like a roo like you said. Im going with its just other birds.

 

[Bella the Chicken Lover]

One of my chicks was pecked on when it was 4 weeks, and we just kept an eye on it and it was so bad, that we separated them(It was feathering, and the others plucked it! Bald spots everywhere). I didn't even give it treatment, and it was fine.

 

[Saveria]

I don't see any roosters in that crew, and I don't think they even mate at that age anyway. It might be feather eating mites, but it doesn't look like that either. Maybe depluming mites, do they seem to scratch that area often?

When you sit with them for a bit, is anyone doing feather eating? What feed are you using?

 

[Lardson]

One of my chicks was pecked on when it was 4 weeks, and we just kept an eye on it and it was so bad, that we separated them(It was feathering, and the others plucked it! Bald spots everywhere). I didn't even give it treatment, and it was fine.

4 weeks old is a little young to be going with older birds, id wait until 5 or 6 weeks, thats just a decent time in my opinion from personal experience.

 

[K. Kolberg]

Could just be other chickens messing with her, or your rooster is just... not too good at mounting hens. But then again those feathers dont look like a roo like you said. Im going with its just other birds.

Yeah

One of my chicks was pecked on when it was 4 weeks, and we just kept an eye on it and it was so bad, that we separated them(It was feathering, and the others plucked it! Bald spots everywhere). I didn't even give it treatment, and it was fine.

you know what I think happened?? I think it was their heat lamp I just thought of that because I had it pretty low (I took it away now) and also inspecting the feathers that have been shortened they look uneven and some of their edges you can see that it may have been burned. I just think that because watching them I don’t see any pecking and don’t see any bugs or whatnot

 

[K. Kolberg]

I don't see any roosters in that crew, and I don't think they even mate at that age anyway. It might be feather eating mites, but it doesn't look like that either. Maybe depluming mites, do they seem to scratch that area often?

When you sit with them for a bit, is anyone doing feather eating? What feed are you using?

I’m just using started feed which is 18% protein so you know I just realized it may have been the heat lamp

 

[K. Kolberg]

Could just be other chickens messing with her, or your rooster is just... not too good at mounting hens. But then again those feathers dont look like a roo like you said. Im going with its just other birds.

I already said this to someone else but I think it may have been the heat lamp slowly burning their feathers because it was too low :/

 

[Saveria]

I’m just using started feed which is 18% protein so you know I just realized it may have been the heat lamp

Whoops... If that is the case and it happened recently you should be able to smell their backs and get a whiff of that burnt keratin smell still.

That is probably the best answer to the problem. Who knew that giving our chickens a gentle roast would be a good thing.